190 Allen's naturalist's library. 



Eggs. — Very similar to those of the Australian Quail ; yellow- 

 ish-brown or buff, thickly marked with spots and blotches of 

 umber. One pair of eggs in the National Collection are so 

 thickly spotted, that little of the ground-colour is \-isible, while 

 another pair are not nearly so heavily marked. Measurements, 

 about 1*3 by 09 inch. 



THE SWAMP-QUAILS. GENUS SYNCECUS. 

 Synoicus, Gould, B. Austr. v. pi. 89, or pt. xii. (1843). 

 Type. S. at/ sf rail's (Temm.). 

 Characters as in CofurnLx, but the axillary feathers are short 

 and grey. 



Only three small species are known. 



I. THE AUSTRALIAN SWAMP-QUAIL. SYNCECUS AUSTRALIS. 



Coturfiix australiSj Temm. Pig. et Gall. iii. pp. 474, 740 



(1815). 

 Synoicus australis, Gould, B. Austr. v. pi. 89 (1843) ; North, 



Nests and Eggs Austr. B. p. 289 (1889). 

 Synoicus sordidus and S. diemenefisis, Gould. P. Z. S. 1S47, 



P- ZZ- 

 Synoicus cervinus, Gould, Handb. B. Austr. ii. p. 195 (1865). 

 Syncecus ausfraiis, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 247 

 (1893). 

 Adult Male. — The feathers of the upper-parts are reddish- 

 brown, with dull grey centres, the black mottlings are few and 

 fine, and the white shafts, so conspicuous in younger birds, 

 are scarcely visible. The sides of the head and throat are 

 dull grey. The feathers of the under-parts are buff, with grey 

 centres and almost devoid of black cross-bars. In somewhat 

 yminger examples the plumage of the upper-parts is mottled 

 with black, and barred with rufous, the narrow white shafts 

 of the feathers being well defined ; sides of the head and throat 

 pale vinaceous-white ; rest of under-parts buff, with V-shaped 

 black cross-bars. Total length, about 7-5 inches; wing, 3'5-4"2 ; 



