ii6 Manual of the Game Birds of India. 



the Ganges river at any point. South- 

 wards this species extends down to Madras 

 and Coimbatore, and in fact, according to 

 Messrs. Hume and Marshall, to the ex- 

 treme south of the peninsula. 



The Rock Bush-Quail selects those 

 localities which are avoided by the Jungle 

 Bush-Quail, and according to the testi- 

 mony of many observers, the two species 

 are not found together. 



Messrs. Hume and Marshall observe 

 regarding this species : — " It avoids moun- 

 tains, which it never ascends, forests and 

 thick jungle, and eschews well-watered 

 and richly wooded or cultivated tracts ; 

 it loves dry, open, sandy or even rocky 

 plains or low hillocks, sparsely studded 

 with thin, thorny bushes ; elevation is not 

 of so much consequence to it as the open- 

 ness and semi-waste character of the place." 



This Bush-Quail and the Jungle Bush- 

 Quail do not appear to differ in general 

 habits. 



The Rock Bush-Quail breeds during 

 many months of the year, and the eggs 

 have been taken in all months except 

 May, June, and July ; but March and 

 September appear to be the two months 

 in which most nests are to be found. 

 The nest is a loose pad of grass in a 



