132 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



of the Suttor and Dawson ; but I have never yet observed it 

 in collections either from the northern or western portions of 

 the continent. 



The eggs are two in number, and are deposited on the bare 

 ground without any nest. The young both run and fly 

 strongly when they are only as large as a quail, as I satisfac- 

 torily ascertained by killing one which rose before me ; but 

 at what bird I had fired I had not the slightest conception 

 until I picked it up. 



In speaking of this bird as an inhabitant of the plains, I 

 must not fail to mention that it was far more abundant on such 

 as were intersected by rivers and waterholes ; in fact, water 

 seemed to be essential to its existence. Its chief food is the 

 seeds of various grasses and other small plants, to which are 

 added at some seasons insects and berries. 



There is so little difference in the plumage of the sexes, 

 that it is necessary to resort to dissection to distinguish the 

 male from the female. 



Head, all the upper surface and chest light brown, the ex- 

 tremities of the wing-coverts and the edges of the primaries 

 being much paler ; the outer webs of several of the greater 

 coverts with a speculum of greenish purple obscured, 

 barred with a darker tint ; chin and throat, a broad stripe 

 from the lower mandible to beneath the eye, another stripe 

 from the posterior angle of the eye down the side of the neck, 

 and a spot on the side of the neck snow-white, the interspaces 

 being jet-black, the latter colour surrounding the eye, and also 

 forming a crescent across the lower part of the throat ; abdo- 

 men grey ; flanks white ; all but the two centre tail-feathers 

 greyish brown at the base and largely tipped with black ; bill 

 black ; irides black ; naked skin sm-rounding the eye bluish 

 lead-colour ; the corners immediately before and behind the 

 eye mealy vinous red ; feet and frontal scales dark purplish 

 vinous red. 



