TURNIX STLVATICA 253 



Family TURNICID^. 



TURNIX SYLYATICA (Destontainea). 



ANDALUCIAN HEMIPODE. 



Tetrao sylvaticus, Desfontaines, Mem. de I'Acad. Emj. des Sc. Paris, 



1787, p. 500, pi. xiii. 

 Turnix sylvatica, Drake, Ibis, 1867, p. 428 ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds 



Brit. Mus. xxii, p. 537 ; Loche, Expl. Set. Alg. Ois. ii, p. 242 (1867) ; 



Koenig, J. f. 0. 1888, p. 255 ; id. J. f. 0. 1893, p. 74 ; Whitaker, Ibis, 



1898, p. 126. 

 Hemipodius (Turnis) tachydromus, Malherbe, Cat. Eais. d'Ois. Alg. 



p. 19 (1846). 



DescrijJtion. — Adult male, spring, from North Tunisia. 



Upper parts generally vinous-brown, mottled with black and white, the 

 crown with an irregular white streak running down the middle ; the greater 

 part of the upper wing-coverts conspicuously marked with white, black and 

 chestnut ; chin white, sides of head and superciliary stripes whitish, spotted 

 minutely with black ; lower part of throat, neck and upper breast pale 

 ferruginous ; sides of neck, breast, and flanks buff white, spotted with black 

 and rufous ; abdomen and crissum white ; under tail-coverts and thighs pale 

 ferruginous. 



Iris pale yellow ; bill and feet light brown; no hind toe. 



Total length 6 inches, wing 3'25, culmen -50, tarsus -90. 



Adult female similar to the male, but rather brighter in coloration and a 

 good deal larger, the wing usually measuring about 3-65. 



The young are paler and less richly marked, and with only a slight 

 indication of orange colour on the breast. 



This species, also known as the Three-toed Quail, is not at all 

 uncommon in the north of the Tunisian Regency, but so far as I am 

 aware, does not occur south of the Atlas. It seems to be strictly a 

 resident and non-migratory bird, and is, moreover, extremely local 

 in its distribution, apparently requiring a particular description of 

 vegetation and environment for its habitat. 



In Algeria and Marocco the species is to be found in suitable 

 localities north of the Atlas. According to von Heuglin it occurs in 

 the vicinity of Benghasi in Cyrenaica, and ranges as far east as Egypt, 

 where it is very rare. A closely allied, though somewhat smaller 

 species, T. lepurana (Smith), inhabits Africa further south, and has 

 been obtained in South Arabia. 



