216 TINAMID.^. 



Sind, -p. 20o. Cofcurnix texfcilis, Tern. PL Gol. 35. {Ghota ButUujr, 

 Sind.) — The Black-breasted Rain Quail. 



Male. — Top of head brown, witb a longitudinal pale stripe on the 

 crown; supercilium white, extending above and beyond the ear-coverts; 

 a white streak under the eye, followed by a dark brown one, which meets 

 the first dai-k brown stripe running below the throat, and forming 

 with its fellow on the other side a triangle, from the middle of which to 

 the chin runs a broad throat stripe ; a triangular patch of white on each 

 side of the throat ; there is also on the throat a second dark stripe 

 behind the first, running down to the breast, the interspace between 

 both being white; breast with a large jet black patch, some of the 

 feathers of the lower part of which are edged with pale buff or white; 

 sides of the breast dark rufous, the feathers pale shafted, and a few 

 with dark spots on the both webs; flanks and abdomen ])ale buff and 

 white intermixed, the feathers black shafted; lower tail-coverts and 

 vent rufous ; back, scapulars and upper tail-coverts same as in the 

 large grey quail, from which it may be readily distinguished by the 

 absence of rufous bars on the first two 'primaries, the first primary 

 having a pale outer edge and by the well-defined lines on the chin and 

 throat, and the patch on the breast, also by its much smaller size. 



Length. — 6-25 to 7 inches, wing o'4.3 to 3-7, tail 1 to Vh, irides dark 

 brown, legs and feet pale fleshy, bill dusky black. 



Hab. — Sind, Punjab, N. W. Provinces, Oudh, Bengal, Beloochistan, 

 Persian Gulf, Rajputana, N. Guzerat, Kutch, Kattiawar, the Deccan 

 and South India. Rain ' Quail visit the Province during the monsoon 

 months, about the end of July, and remain to breed. They leave about 

 the endof October. 



Family, TINAMIDiE. 



Bill short, rather slender, aiid very slightly curved at the tip ; tail 

 short or none ; tarsi not spurred; hind toe small or wanting. 



Gen. Turnix. 



Characters the same as those of the Family; nostrils linear; 1st quill 

 longest ; no hind toe. 



Turnix jOUdera, Hodgs. Beng. Sport Mag. 1838, pi. 1, 2; Jcrd. B. 

 lud. iii. 599, No. 834; Str. F. vi. p. 453; Murray, Hdbk., ZooL, Sj-c, 

 Sind, p. 203. — The Indian Button Quail. 



Male Top of head light brown with a faint longitudinal streak 



on the crown ; back of neck, back and scapulars ferruginous brown, the 

 feathers behind the head with dark spots, and those of the back, scapu- 

 lars and under tail-coverts with narrow transverse strise, distinct on the 

 lower part of the back ; scapulars with a few white spots or edgings to 

 the feathers ; wing-coverts pale earthy brown, the tips broadly white, 

 each with a dark ocelli in the centre ; primaries pale earthy brown, 

 narrowly edged with pale white; chin and upper throat white; middle 

 of breast ferruginous, the sides of the breast like the scapulars, with 

 -white tipped feathers, in the middle of which is a dark spot ; under parts 

 ferruginous ; vent whitish. 



