84 TETRAONID/E. 



108. PerdiCUla asiatica {Lafham), Gould, B. A. S, pan xv. pi. 12 ; 



Tcmm,, PL Col. p. 447; Hume, StJ.F. vii. p. 156; Hume and Marsh., Game 

 Birds \). 109, pi. Murray, Avif. Brit. Jnd. ii. p. 562, No. 1231. Colurnix 

 pentah, Sykes, Trans, Zool. Socy. ii. pi. 3 ; Hardiv., 111. Ind. Zool. 2> 

 pi. 45, fig. 3, Perdicula cambayensis, apud Jerd., B. Ind. iii. p. 581, 

 No. 826. — The Jungle Bush Quail. 



Above rich dark reddish brown, mottled with dull rufous ; supercilium 

 rufous white, narrowly edged with black, an indistinct pale line from the 

 gape ; feathers of the back of the neck and the back white shafted ; scapulars 

 and wing coverts richly marked on their inner webs with pale creamy white 

 and black ; primaries red-brown with tawny spots and bars ; tail with a few 

 black bars ; chin rich chestnut ; rest of the under surface white, tinged with 

 rufescent on the lower abdomen, flanks, vent and lower tail coverts, and with 

 numerous cross bars of black, smallest on the throat and sides of the neck. 

 Bill dusky, tinged with reddish ; irides light brown ; legs yellowish red. 



Length. — 6-5 to 72 inches ; wing 3 to 3-5 ; tail 1-5 to 178 ; tarsus 0-94 to 

 I ; bill from gape 0*5 to 0"6. 



i7tz (5. — Generally distributed throughout India, Ceylon, Malabar Coast, 

 the Wynaad, Mysore, IMadras, Eastern Ghauts, Western Ghauts, Khandalla, 

 INIahableshwar, Rutnagherry, and South Konkan generally ; Chanda, Seoni, 

 Nursingpur, Manbhoom, Rajmahal hills, INIirzapoor, Etawah, Kuchawan frills, 

 IMount Abu, Lucknow, Umballa, the Dhoon, Mussoorie, Simla, lower Hima- 

 layan ranges below Kumaon and Kashmir, are some of the recorded localities 

 given by i\Ir. Hume, where this species is common. They always keep in 

 small coveys in grass jungle or stubble long enough to hide them. They 

 feed of course on seeds and grains of sorts. For the table Bush Quails in 

 general are hard, dry, and insipid, and require a good deal of sauce and 

 condiments to make a fair dish ; grilled dry they are often found favour with, 

 especially if kept till a little " gamey." Breeds from September to January 

 according to locality, making a nest on the ground under the shelter 

 of some bush or tuft of grass. It is shallow and circular, and lined or made 

 up of grass roots, grass and a few dead leaves. Eggs, 5 — 7 in number, 

 regular ovals, more or less pointed towards one end, with a faint gloss, andin 

 colour spotless creamy while. Size from o 96 to ii in length and 079 to 0*9 

 in breadth. 



109. Perdicula argoondall, Sykcs, Trans. Zool. Sac. ii. 

 pi. 2 ; Jerd., B. Ind. iii. p. 583, No. 827 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs Bid. B., 

 p. S45i; id.. Sir. F. vii. p. 156; Hume and Marsh., Game Birds ii. p. 117; 

 Murray, Avif. Brit. Ind. ii. p. 563, No 1232. — The Rock Bush Quail. 



Upper plumage brownish rufous, the feathers minutely freckled and lineated 

 with black and tawny ; feathers of the head and neck tipped with black ; 

 some of the scapulars and wing coverts with irregular black blotches ; 



