2S4 Allen's naturalist's LiBRAnv. 



II. Leg {metatarsus) equal to or shorter than the middle toe 

 and claw. Bill very stout in some species. 

 xvn. tup: Madagascar bustard-quail, turnix 

 nigricollis. 



Trtrao nigricollis, Gmel. S. N. i. pt ii. p. 767 (1788). 

 Turnix nigricollis, Milne-Edwards & Grandidier, Hist. Nat 

 Madag. Ois. p. 494, pi. ccii. (1885) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat B. 

 Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 549 (1893). 



Adult Male. — Differs chiefly from the female in having the 

 feathers of the forehead black widely edged with buff; the 

 nape like the upper back ; the chin and throat white ; the sides 

 of the chest washed with pale rufous ; the middle of the chest, 

 breast, and flanks buff, all barred with black; belly paler. 

 Total length, 5-5 inches; wing, 2-9; tail, 1*35 ; tarsus, q-S. 



Adult Female. — The feathers of the forehead black, barred with 

 white ; the nape dark grey ; the upper back mixed with black 

 and rufous and margined with whitish-buff; rest of upper-parts 

 mostly brownish-grey, mottled with black and rufous ; the wing- 

 coverts rufous with irregularly-shaped black and white spots ; 

 the sides of the face and neck white, tipped with black; the chin, 

 throat, and middle of the chest black, the two former bordered 

 on either side by a white stripe ; the shoulders and sides of the 

 chest bright rust-red ; the breast and belly uniform dove-grey. 

 Bill slender. Total length, 5-8 inches; wing, 3-3; tail, 1-4; 

 tarsus, o*8. 



Kange. — Madagascar. 



XVIII. THE BLACK-CREASTED BUSTARD-QUAIL. TURNIX 



melanogaster. 

 Hemipodius melanogaster, Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 7; id. B. 



Austr. V. pi. 81 (1848). 

 Tur?iix melanogaster, Gould, Handb. B. Austr. ii. p. 178 



(1865); North, Nests and Eggs B. Austr. p. 285 (1889); 



Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 550 (1893). 



