GRALLATORES. 209 



As an article of food its flesh is delicate and well-flavoured, 

 and in every respect eqnals that of its w^ell-knovvn prototype 

 of Enrope. 



Its food consists of seeds, vegetables, grasses, lizards, mol- 

 lusks, insects, &c. 



It breeds in the latter part of September; the situation 

 chosen for the purpose being a clear spot in a valley, or on 

 the side of a grassy hill : the eggs are usually deposited on 

 the bare ground; occasionally, however, a few grasses are 

 spread for them to lie upon. They are two in number, three 

 inches long by two inches and two lines broad, and are of an 

 olive-colour, stained with longitudinal dashes of brown. 



Crown of the head and occiput black ; sides of the head, 

 the neck, and breast greyish white, each feather crossed by 

 numerous fine zigzag bands of brown, giving those parts a 

 freckled appearance ; wing-coverts black, largely tipped with 

 white; all the upper surface, wings, and upper tail-coverts 

 brown, very minutely freckled with reddish brown ; some of 

 the feathers towards the hinder parts of the body tinged with 

 grey ; tail grey, crossed near the centre by an interrupted 

 band of white, minutely frecked with white, margined with 

 brown, and slightly tipped with white ; chest crossed by an 

 irregular band of black, beyond which the under surface is 

 white ; under tail-coverts greyish black, tipped with white ; 

 irides greenish white ; eyelash pale olive-yellow ; bill straw- 

 white, with olive and black culmen ; legs and feet straw- 

 yellow. 



Total length 40 inches ; bill 4 ; wing 25 ; tail 10 ; tarsi 7 J. 



VOL. II. 



