TURNIX HOTTENTOTTA. 607 
under surface of the body varied with greyish blue and rufous ; tail 
leaden grey; upper wing-coverts rufous; scapulars marked with a 
central line of white; greater series of under wing-coverts white ; 
quills pale brown; bill blackish; feet yellow. Total length, 
44 inches; wing, 2°95. 
Female.—Above brownish rufous, the crown with scaly marks of 
buff; back varied with black, each plume with a central streak of 
white ; underneath pale fulvous, with scaly marks of dusky blackish. 
Fam. TURNICIDA. 
583. Turnix norrenrorra (J'emm.). South African Hemipode. 
The Hemipodes are small game-birds like the Quails, but are 
easily distinguished by the absence of the hind-toe. 
This handsome little bird (Riet-Quartel and Sand-quail of the 
colonists) is found sparingly throughout the colony, } evidently 
in the most southern part of the continent, taking the place of 
the next species, H. lepuwrana. We never saw more than two 
together, rarely even that. It frequents grassy places, and reeds 
in dry vleys, whence its name. When flushed, it flies a short 
distance, drops into cover, and instantly decamps, running with 
great rapidity. It feeds on seeds and insects, and is usually 
very fat. It remains with us all the year round, and we are 
told breeds in vleys, laying from seven to ten eggs, like those 
of the common Quail, but smaller, and only minutely spotted. 
Mr. W. Atmore writes: ‘‘I have taken several nests of this bird; 
one was on a rocky head (koppie) near Swellendam, the others on 
the kuggeas. I never saw one in a vley. Eggs 5, much pointed 
and very like those of the Ring Dotterel (Agialitis tricollaris).” He 
is not far wrong in the similitude. They are very abruptly pointed 
and densely covered with small dark brown spots. Axis, 18” ; 
diam.; 9”. It occurs, according to our correspondent Mr. 
Rickard, near Port Elizabeth and also near Hast London, and 
Captain Trevelyan tells us that in the neighbourhood of 
Kingwilliamstown one or two of this species are generally shot 
during a day’s Quail shooting. Captain Shelley says that he 
found this species fairly plentiful in the long grass about Pinetown 
in Natal. 
