TURNIX. 91 



116. TurniX plumbipes {Hodgs.), Hume, Nes/s and Fggs Lid. 

 ^- P- 554 ; -B/y/k, B. Bunn. p. 152 ; Oates, Str. F. v. p. 164 ; Anders., Yimnan 

 Exped., p. 6'/i\ Hume and Dav., Str. F. vi. p. 45O ; Hume^ Sir. F. viii. 

 p III ; Scully, Sir. F. viii. p. 35O; Hume and Marsh., Game Birds ii. p. 177, 

 pi. ; Oates, Str. F. x. p. 236 ; id., B. Br. Burm. ii. p. 337. Murray, Avif. 

 Brit. Ind. ii. p. 568, No. 1239. Hemipodius plumbipes, Hodgs., Beng. 

 Sport. Mag. ix. p. 345. Turnix ocellatus {Scop.,) Jerd., B. Ind. ii. p. 597, 

 No. 833. Turnix pugnax {Temm.), Hume, Str. F. iii. p. 178 ; id., N'ests and 

 Fggs Ind. B. p. 553. Turnix taigoor, Sykes, Trans. Zool. Soc. 2, pi. ; Jerd., 

 B. Ind. iii. p. 955, No. 832 ; Hume and Marsh., Game Birds ii. p. 169, pi. — 

 The Indo-IMalayan Bustard Quail. 



Above rufous with transverse black lines and pale yellow streaks ; below 

 rufescent or pale ferruginous, becoming chestnut on the flanks and undertail 

 coverts ; the foreneck, breast and sides of the body lunated with black. 



The fcfuale is a much larger bird, and the plumage is darker; the crown and 

 sides of the head, the sides and back of the neck are spotted with white ; 

 chin, throat and breast black ; sides of the breast and body lunated with 

 black. Legs and feet plumbeous or pale leaden ; irides pearly grey. 



Z(?«or//;._5-6 to 6-25 ; wing 3*12 to 3*5; tail ro to 1-4; tarsus 0*95 to 

 1*12; bill from gape 07 to 081. 



Hab. — Throughout India nearly (except Sind, Kathiawar and Jodhpoor, 

 and other similar dry places), extending to Ceylon, Burmah, the Malay Penin- 

 sula, Siam, and Cochin-China. It frequents gardens, land covered with grass, 

 also bushes, roadsides, &c. Breeds in July and August, wherever it occurs, 

 laying 4 — 6 eggs, of a stone grey colour, irrorated with small specks of brown 

 interspersed with larger spots of a neutral tint. 



It will be seen that I have made T. taigoor a synonym of T. plumbipes. 

 There can be no doubt of both species being identical ; the rufous tint 

 of the Malayan race can only be considered as climatic. There are 

 no other characters which could be considered sufficient to warrant a 

 separation. 



117. Turnix jOUdera Hodgs., Beng. Sport. Mag. 1838, pi. i, 

 fig. I; Jerd., B. Ind. iii. p. 599, No. 834; Str. F. vii. p. 453; Hume, 

 Nests and Eggs Ind. B. p. 556 ; id. and Marsh., Game Birds ii. p. 1S7, pi. ; 

 Murray, Avif. Brit. Ind. ii. p. 569, No. 124O. Turnix Dussumieri, apud. 

 Jerd., viii. p. 599. — 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, scapulars and under 

 tail coverts with narrow transverse strice, distinct on the lower part of the 



