90 TINAMID^. 



S/r. F. iii. p. 345; Wald., Trans. Zool. Soc.'xy.. p. 224; Blylh, B. Biirm. 

 p, 151 ; David et Oust. Oh. Chine, p. 397; Hume and Vav., Sir. F. vi. 

 p. 447 ; Hume, S/r. F. viii. p. ill ; Oa/es, S/r. F. viii. p. 167; Bume and 

 MarsJi., Game Birds ii. p. 161 pi. ; Bingham, S/r. F, x. p. 196 ; Oa/es, 

 ^/r. i^. X. p. 236 ; Murray, Avif. Bri/. Ind. ii. p. 567, No. 1238. Telrao 

 chinensis, Linn., Sys/. Na/. 1. p. 277. Coturnix chinensis, Legge, B. Ceylon, 

 p. 755.— The Blue-breasted Quail. 



A narrow white line from the nostrils to the eye ; forehead, feathers round 

 the eye, ear coverts, breast, sides of the neck and of the body slaty blue ; 

 abdomen, vent and tail chestnut ; upper plumage, wing coverts and tertiaries 

 olive brown, marked with black and pale rufous, and most of the feathers with 

 pale shaft streaks ; primaries and secondaries plain brown ; chin, throat, and 

 cheeks black ; a broad moustachial stripe from the gape white ; a broad collar 

 below the black of the throat white, succeeded by a narrow band of black. 

 The female has the upper plumage almost sim.ilar to the male ; the supercilium, 

 forehead and throat are rufcHis, enclosing a dull white chin ; sides of the head 

 pale rufous, speckled with black; lower plumage pale buff; all but the centre of 

 the abdomen barred with black. Bill bluish black ; irides red ; eyelids plum- 

 beous ; legs bright yellow. 



Leng/h. — 57 inches ; tail i ; wing 2*8 ; tarsus O'S ; bill from gape 0*5. 



.^(z6.— Generally distributed over Eastern India and Ceylon. Occurs in 

 Bengal, Assam, Burmah, Southern and Cochin-China, the Malay Peninsula, 

 Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. In Ceylon it is fairly common, especially towards 

 the south of the island. In Burmah it is generally distributed, but is nowhere 

 common except in Pegu, where it arrives in May in large numbers. In Raipur, 

 Mandla, and the Chanda districts, also in the Tributary Mahals, Singbhoom, 

 Calcutta, Cachar, Sylhet, Khasia hills, as well as in the Dafla hills and in the 

 valley of Nepaul it is fairly com.mon. It is also recorded from Arracan. Open, 

 swampy grassy lands or meadows are their favourite haunts, and they are 

 seldom found far from such spots. They do not appear shy but freely come 

 into the open to feed. Breeds in Pegu, Cachar, Purneah, and the Sub- 

 Himalayan districts from Sikkim to Kasauli. Lays from June to the 1st or 

 2nd week in September. Eggs, 5 — 6, broad ovals, of the shape of those of 

 the Common Black Partridge, cafe an lai/ tinged with olive in colour. 

 In size they vary from 0*95 to 1*04 in length and from 0'7 to o'Si in width. 



Family, TINAMID^. 



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

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



Gen. Turnix. — Bonap. 



Characters the same as those of the Family; nostrils linear; ist quill 

 longest ; no hind toe. 



