178 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



enjoy a wide range across the country from east to west, 

 while others are very local ; grassy plains and stony ridges 

 thinly interspersed with scrubs and grasses are the situations 

 they frequent ; their eggs are invariably four in number, and 

 rather pointed in form ; their only nest is a few grasses placed 

 in a hollow on the ground. 



Sp. 479. TURNIX MELANOGASTER, Gould. 



Black-breasted Turnix. 

 Hemipodiics melanogaster, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part v. p. 7. 



Hemipodius melanogaster, Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. v. 

 pi. 81. 



I regret that, never having seen this species in a state of 

 nature, I am unable to render any account of its habits and 

 economy. It is a native of the eastern portion of Australia ; and 

 the specimens in my collection were all procured at Moreton 

 Bay. The sexes present considerable difference in their size 

 and markings, the male being the smallest and being destitute 

 of the black colouring which distinguishes the female. It is 

 about half the size of an Enghsh Partridge, and is the largest 

 species of the genus yet discovered. 



Crown of the head, ear-coverts, throat and centre of the 

 abdomen black; over each eye extends a line of feathers 

 having each a small white spot at the tip ; this line extends to 

 the nape, which part is also thickly spotted with white on a 

 black and chestnut-coloured ground ; feathers on the sides of 

 the chest and flanks black, having a large crescent-shaped 

 marking of white near the tip ; mantle and upper part of the 

 back rich chestnut brown, each feather having a spot of white 

 and a stripe of black on each side, and barred with black at or 

 near the tip ; shoulders, greater and lesser wing-coverts rufous 

 brown, each feather having a white spot surrounded with a 

 black line ; primaries dark brown ; thighs and upper and 



