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Crown dark brown with lighter 

 median stripe. Upper parts in general 

 different shades of brown, conspicuous- 

 ly marked with pale yellowish pointed 

 stripes, the feather also being finely 

 barred with lighter brown. Throat 

 pale brown generally, breast with 

 darker bands, tints growing paler 

 toward abdomen which is almost 

 white. Breast feathers finely streaked 

 with whitish. 



Female lighter in color. 



There is considerable variation in 

 tints in different individuals. 



Distribution. Europe and Asia. 

 Common resident in the Yangtse 

 Valley. 



Nest and Eggs.— " A slight hollow in 

 the ground, with little or no lining and 

 sheltered by standing crops or grass " 

 is the nest according to Ogilvie-Grant. 

 The lining is often present and consists 

 of bits of grass, dry straw and similar 

 common things. 



" Eggs eight to twelve in number, 

 sometimes more, are laid ; creamy 

 white or buff, more or less boldly 

 blotched and spotted with rich brown." 



Notes. — These birds are frequently 

 met with feeding in small coveys, we 

 have never seen a large one, along the 

 grassy paths of the paddy fields or the 

 grass covered grave mounds, but they 

 sometimes take to very thick cover and 

 are hard to get out. 



Hudson has likened his three syllable, 

 shrill, piping call, to the sound of the 

 words, " wet my lips ", or " wet my 

 feet," according to the fancy of the 

 hearer. This is a common call early 

 in the morning and late in the afternoon 

 in the country during the mating 

 season. 



