THE BUSH-QUAILS. 

 The Bush-Quails, of which five species 

 are known, are pecuUar to the Indian 

 Empire. They are birds of small size, 

 not smaller than the smallest Quail, but 

 considerably smaller than the Grey Quail. 

 Their plumage is firm and richly coloured, 

 and exhibits those streaks on the upper 

 surface which characterise the Quails. 

 Nevertheless they must be looked upon 

 as small Partridges rather than Quails. 

 The sexes differ in plumage ; very greatly 

 in some species. They are, however, of 

 much the same size. 



The Bush-Quails may conveniently be 

 divided into two sections. In the first 

 {Microperdix) the tail is composed of ten 

 feathers. In the second {Ferdicula) the 

 tail is composed of twelve feathers and 

 the male birds have a small tubercle or 

 very blunt spur on each leg. 



I may here repeat that the Bush-Quails 

 can never be confounded with the Quails 

 if it is remembered that in all the species 

 of the former group the outer web of the 

 quills of the wing is always barred or 

 marked with rufous, and that moreover 

 no Bush-Quail has the sides of the body 

 streaked. 



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