QUAILS. 



199 



tlio land. Tho female lays from eight to twelve eggs. About six species are goner- 

 ally included by ornitliologists in this genus; one, C. dde(jor<juei, from Africa; 

 C. coromandelica, from India, known as the rain-quail ; C. liectoralis, from Australia; 

 C. novce-zelandiw, as its name implies, from New Zealand ; (.^ caineana, from China, 

 and C. communis. They are all similar in size and appearance, and a description of 

 the habits of one species would practically answer for all. 



Australia jjossesses a genus of quails peculiar to itself, — Synoicus, — containing 

 four species. They vary in length from six and one half to eight and one half inches; 

 of a dark-brown color on the back, transversely barred with gray, l)lack, and chestnut; 

 the under surface grayish-buff or gray, with black zig-zag markings. These, like the 

 species of quail generally, migrate but slightly, if at all, and keep in coveys, flying but 

 a short distance after being flushed. 



Fig. 94. — Hollulns iimiruul, reJ-crested woini-quiiiis. 



The bush-quails are contained in the genera Perdicula, Ophrysia, and Microperdix, 

 represented by .about six species. They are distributed throughoiit various portions 

 of India in the thick jungles and bushy tracts, kcejiing in coveys usually of from six 

 to ten individuals, lie very close, and fly but a short distance when disturbed, and live 

 from the level of the sea to eight thousand feet of elev.ation. One species, Perdicida 

 raidtenii, apjiears to be restricted to the island of Timor. 



The i>aiuted-quails are a group of very small birds (one species, .£*. minima, from 

 Celebes, being the smallest game-bird known), and have been gathered together into 

 a, separate genus, — Excid factor in. They .are very pretty birds, the sexes being quite 

 dissimilar in plumaiie, and are residents of various parts of India, Malay Peninsula, 

 Ceylon, Chin.a, Celebes, Philijipines, Australia, New Guinea, the Duke of York Islands, 

 and west Africa. Tlie best known, E. chine?isis, the blue-brcasted quail, is an 



