238 A MANUAL OF THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
162. Colcloughia melanogaster. —BLACK-BREASTED QUAIL. 
Gould, Vol. V., pl. 81 (pt. xx), March Ist, 1846. Mathews, Vol. I., pt. 1, pl. 14, Oct. 31st, 
1910. 
Hemipodius melanogaster Gould, Synops. Birds Austr., pt. u., pl. 31, April Ist, 1837: New 
South Wales = Moreton Bay, Queensland. 
Colcloughia melanogaster gowert Mathews, Austral Av. Rec., Vol. III., pt. 3, p. 53, April 
7th, 1916: Gowrie Creek, Rockingham Bay, Queensland. 
DIsTRIBUTION.—Queensland, New South Wales. 
Adult female—General colour above brown, with a good deal of chestnut on 
the mantle, upper back and scapulars, which are all crossed with narrow bars of 
black, the scapulars with a broad black subterminal bar, and having a longitudinal 
white streak on the edge of either web ; these streaks of white, bordered by a line 
of black, are also apparent on the mantle and upper back ; but less marked on the 
lower back, which is almost entirely brown, save for a few indistinct bars of rufous 
and black ; rump and upper tail-coverts with a slight shade of chestnut, but otherwise 
brown, sparsely barred across with black, and having a few white, black-edged, 
streaks or spots of white on the margins of the feathers, some of the upper tail-coverts 
with whitish spots or bars, followed by a terminal bar of black ; wings much more 
thickly spangled with white, the wing-coverts in the main ashy-brown, but mixed 
with chestnut, most of them being of the latter colour, narrowly barred with black 
towards the ends, and having a broad white streak along the outer margin, before 
which is a conspicuous black streak ; the lesser coverts nearly uniform dark brown, 
slightly tinged with chestnut, but devoid of white streaks; the greater coverts 
dusky-brown, with sandy-brown margins; primary-coverts and quills uniform 
dusky-brown, the two outer primaries sandy-brown along the outer web ; secondaries 
also dusky-brown, more or less sandy-buff towards the end of the outer web, the 
inner secondaries externally tinged with chestnut, and with a few dusky cross-bars ; 
tail-feathers dusky-brown, freckled with a few cross lines of black ; crown of head 
black, with a slight tinge of chestnut towards the nape, and a few white spotted 
feathers above the eye, continued above the ear-coverts to the sides of the neck, the 
feathers of which are black, with a broad subterminal spot of white, these white 
spotted feathers extending across the hind-neck ; lores, ear-coverts and cheeks black, 
with a streak of white on the fore-part of the cheeks below the eye ; throat and entire 
breast black, with white spots or subterminal bars on the feathers, the white bars 
being very distinct on the sides of the breast, where a few feathers are chestnut ; 
abdomen and flanks dull ashy-grey, with a blackish bar on the ends of some of the 
feathers, the flanks also showing an occasional subterminal white spot between two 
bars of black; the long feathers of the lower flanks and the under tail-coverts 
vermiculated with blackish, and having a subterminal spot of dull white or buff ; 
under wing-coverts and axillaries dull ashy ; the marginal coverts darker ; quills 
dull ashy below. Total length 190 mm. ; culmen 19, wing 114, tail 38, tarsus 23. 
Adult male.-—Distinguished from the female by the absence of the black on the 
head, and throat, paler abdomen and smaller size. Total length 164 mm. ; culmen 
16, wing 104, tail 40, tarsus 23. 
Immature.—Above like that of Marianornis, a shade more buff, the breast 
feathers quite similar but the abdomen with buff feathers barred indistinctly with 
black ; the bill and legs stout. 
Nestling —Undescribed. 
Nest.—Merely a slight depression in the ground, in grassed or open scrub 
country. 
Eggs.—Clutch, three to four; smooth and glossy, with the ground-colour 
greyish-white, minutely freckled over the entire surface with blue-grey, and bolder 
blotches of blackish-brown ; with underlying blotches of blue-grey; axis 26-27 mm., 
diameter 21. 
