156 Lloyd's natural history. 



Rock Bush-Quail are perfectly similar to those of its ally, and, 

 like it, the birds generally feed in company, even in the breed- 

 ing-season, when "newly-hatched birds may frequently be seen 

 running amongst half-a-dozen old ones " (Aitken). 



Nest. — Placed under a tussock of grass, and neatly made of 

 dry grass placed in a shallow, saucer-shaped, depression in the 

 ground. 



Eggs. — Five to seven in number, generally rather pointed 

 towards the small end ; uniform glossy white, slightly tinged 

 with brownish- buff. Average measurements, 1*02 by 0-84 

 inch. 



THE PAINTED BUSH-QUAILS. GENUS MICROPERDIX. 



Microperdix, Gould, B. As. vii. pi. iii. (1862). 



Type, Af. erythrorhyncha (Sykes). 



Very similar in size and general appearance to the last 

 genus, but the tail is composed of only ten feathers, and the 

 first primary flight-feather is about equal to the tenth, the sixth 

 being slightly the longest. The tarsi in the males are without 

 any trace of a spur. 



Only three very small species are known. 



I. THE PAINTED BUSH-QUAIL. MICROPERDIX 

 ERYTHRORHYNCHA. 



Coturnix erythrorhyncha, Sykes, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 153; J. E. 



Gray, 111. Ind. Zool. ii. pi. 44, fig. 2 (1834); Sykes, Trans. 



Zool. Soc. ii. p. 16, pi. 1 (1841). 

 Perdicula erythrorhyncha, Auctorum, passim. 

 Microperdix erythrorhyncha, Gould, B. As. vii. pi. 3 (1862); 



Hume and Marshall, Game Birds of India, ii. p. 123, pi. 



(1879); Oates, ed. Hume's Nests and Eggs Ind. B. iii. p. 



442 (1890); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 203 



(1893). 

 Adult Male. — General colour above earthy-brown, with rounded 



