TURNIX NANA. 



NATAL BUTTON-QUAIL. 



(Plate 35.) 



Hemipodius nanus, Sundevall, Oefvers. k. Vet. Akad. Forhandl., 1850, 

 p. 110. 



Turnix hottentota, Sharpe's ed. Layard Birds of S. Afr., p. 607 (part) 

 (1875-84). 



Turnix nana, Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxii, p. 541 (1893) ; 

 Reichenow, Vogel Afrikas, i, p. 303 (1900-01) ; Sclater, Ann. 

 S. Afr. Mus., Ill, p. 355 (1905) ; Sclater & Stark, Birds of Afr., 

 IV, p. 240 (1906). 



Description. The specimen figured is a female. Length of the male 

 about 6 in. in the flesh, the female is a little larger and slightly 

 more brightly coloured. 



In the young bird the buff on the breast is not nearly so 

 marked, and the transverse bars extend entirely across. 



Distribution. Mr. Sclater \vrites of it, " that it was first discovered 

 in Natal by Wahlberg and was ajiparently lost sight of until 

 recently, when Mr. Ogilvie-Grant brought it into notice again ; 

 outside South African limits it has been met with in Nyassaland." 

 In Pondoland it is not common, but is found throughout that 

 country on grassy flats. 



The habits of the Natal Button-Quail, from notes taken 

 in Pondoland, appear to resemble those of other species. 

 It flies straight and fast and runs hard as soon as it pitches, 

 so that it is very difficult to find again. 



According to Mr. Sclater it nests in Natal in December, 

 the nest being a small hollow about 3 in. across and about 

 |-in. deep, lined with a few fine grass-stalks. The eggs 

 which are now in the South African Museum, are three in 



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