THE CRESTED QUAILS. I29 



Adult Male. — Crest ^ top of the head, and throaty buff or rufous- 

 buff ; the broad eyebrow-stripes and bands bordering the sides 

 of the throat black ; ear-coverts white ; back of neck white, 

 spotted with black ; back and wings mostly rufous-grey, shading 

 into grey on the rump, and all finely mottled and blotched 

 with black, and the former edged with buff; chest, sides, and 

 flank-feathers rufous down the middle barred with black and 

 spotted with white ; rest of under-parts white barred with black, 

 and widely edged with orange-buff towards the middle. Total 

 length, 8 inches; wing, 4; tail, 2*4; tarsus, i'i5; middle toe 

 and claw, i"3. 



Adult Pemale. — Differs chiefly from the male in having the 

 eyebrow-stripes orange-yelloiv, the ear-coverts pale-brown^ and 

 the feathers on the sides of the throat whitish-buff margined 

 with black on the sides. 



Range. — The islands of Curasao and Aruba. 



It was not till 1892, when Mr. E. Hartert visited the islands 

 of Curasao and Aruba, which lie off the northern coast of 

 Venezuela, that the true home of this species became known. 

 Though the bird was accurately described by Brisson in 1760, 

 the locality whence it came had ever been a matter of doubt, 

 and though Gould, in his monograph of the Odontophorinc^^ 

 gives the habitat as " Mexico," it has never been found there 

 by recent explorers. It is possible that it may occur in 

 Venezuela. 



Habits. — Mr. Hartert tells us that " this pretty bird is not 

 rare on Aruba and Curasao, but is not found everywhere. The 

 natives call it ' Sockle,' a name derived from its note, which is 

 uttered very frequently. It is much esteemed as food, and 

 sometimes sold in the market alive. 



"This bird is not easy to obtain in any great numbers with- 

 out a dog, as it does not care to fly, and is difficult to be seen 

 in grassy places. It is not found on Bonaire," which lies im- 

 mediately to the east of Curagao. 



12 K 



