140 TURNlCID.i:. 
sage in September and October. They nest in July^ depositing 
four eggs in any slight depression of the ground^ often among 
corn. The young, from the moment of exchision, are attended 
by both male and female — all remaining together in parties 
for some time, in the same manner as Quails, I kept a female 
bird in captivity for about thirteen months, feeding it on millet 
and water. This bird was very fond of eating flies, and also 
used to devour the ants which came into its cage to carry away 
the dead. Very gentle in its character, the call of this bird 
was very triste : it cooed day and night, much in the manner 
of a Turtledove ; only the note was more subdued and length- 
ened. I have reason to believe that these Quails would breed 
in captivity, although this individual bird did not lay." — 
Favier. 
On the Spanish side I was unable to detect any migration 
of this Bush-Quail, though it is said by Andalucian bird- 
catchers and cazadores to be migratory. The probability is that 
they are so; but yet I am inclined to think the reverse, as they 
are found in the same localities in equal numbers at all seasons 
of the year. 
Near Gibraltar it is a very local bird and nowhere plentiful, 
apparently less so than is really the case ; for they are difficult 
birds to flush, and if put up once will rarely rise a second time. 
Scattered here and there, they chiefly frequent palmetto scrub 
and appear to be most common near the coast, being more 
abundant to the east of the Queen of Spain^s Chair, especially 
about the Lomo del Rey and a place called Los Agusaderas. 
In their flight and habits, from what I could observe of them, 
they resemble the Indian Bush-Quail [Turnix dussumieri) . 
I have often seen them among the rough grass and bents 
close to the sea-shore. One bird in particular, I remember, 
for a long time frequented a patch of thick herbage near the 
mouth of the " First River ;" and whenever I rode by, my dog- 
used to flush it, till at last one day, wanting a specimen, I 
went purposely to shoot the bird ; but, of course, upon this 
occasion my friend was not to be found, nor did I again see 
one there for some months. 
They are scarce between Algeciraz and Tarifa, but occur 
