RASOBES. 191 



representative. During my rambles in the districts resorted 

 to by this bird, I frequently found its nest and eggs ; they 

 bear a strong resemblance to those of our own Quail ; but 

 much variation exists in their colouring, some being largely 

 blotched all over with brown on a straw-white ground, 

 while from this to a finely spotted marking every variety 

 occurs ; the number of eggs in each nest varies from eleven 

 to fourteen. The situations chosen for the nest are much 

 diversified ; sometimes it is placed among the thick grass of 

 the luxuriant fiats, while at others it is artfully concealed by a 

 tuft of herbage on the open plains. The chief food of this 

 species is grain, seeds and insects, the grain, as a matter of 

 course, being only procured in cultivated districts ; and hence 

 the name of Stubble Quail has been given to it by the colonists 

 of Tasmania, from the great numbers that visit the fields after 

 the harvest is over. 



September and the three following months constitute the 

 breeding-season ; but it is somewhat later in Tasmania than 

 in South Australia and New South Wales. 



The average weight of the male is four ounces and a half ; 

 the female, which rarely equals the male in size, may at all 

 times be distinguished by the total absence of the black mark- 

 ings on the chest, and by the throat being white instead of 

 buff". 



The male has the lores, ear-coverts and throat bufi*; crown 

 of the head and back of the neck deep brown ; over each eye 

 two parallel lines of yellowish white ; a similar line down the 

 centre of the head from the forehead to the nape ; back of the 

 neck brown, each feather marked down its centre with a lan- 

 ceolate mark of yellowish white, blotched on each side with 

 black ;. mantle, back and upper tail-coverts brown, trans- 

 versely rayed with zigzag markings of black, and striped down 

 the centre with lanceolate markings of yellowish white ; wings 

 brown, transversely rayed with zigzag lines of grey and black; 

 primaries and centre of the chest black ; sides of the chest 



