THE CRESTED QUAILS. 129 
Adult Male.— Cves7, top of the head, and ¢hroat, buff or rufous- 
buff ; the broad eyebrow-stripes and bands bordering the sides 
of the throat d/ack, ear-coverts white; back of neck white, 
spotted with black ; back and wings mostly rufous-grey, shading 
into grey on the rump, and all finely mottled and blotched 
with black, and the former edged with buff; chest, sides, and 
flank-feathers rufous down the middle barred with black and 
spotted with white ; rest of under-parts white barred with black, 
and widely edged with orange-buff towards the middle. Total 
length, 8 inches; wing, 4; tail, 2°4; tarsus, 1:15 ; middle toe 
and claw, 1°3. 
Adult Female.-—Differs chiefly from the male in having the 
eyebrow-stripes orange-yellow, the ear-coverts face-brown, and 
the feathers on the sides of the throat whitish-buff margined 
with black on the sides. 
Range.—The islands of Curacao and Aruba. 
It was not till 1892, when Mr. E. Hartert visited the islands 
of Curagao and Aruba, which lie off the northern coast of 
Venezuela, that the true home of this species became known. 
Though the bird was accurately described by Brisson in 1760, 
the locality whence it came had ever been a matter of doubt, 
and though Gould, in his monograph of the Odondophorine, 
gives the habitat as “‘ Mexico,” it has never been found there 
by recent explorers. It is possible that it may occur in 
Venezuela. 
Habitsx—Mr. Hartert tells us that “this pretty bird is not 
rare on Aruba and Curagao, but is not found everywhere. The 
natives call it ‘Socklé,’ a name derived from its note, which is 
uttered very frequently. It is much esteemed as food, and 
sometimes sold in the market alive. 
“This bird is not easy to obtain in any great numbers with- 
out a dog, as it does not care to fly, and is difficult to be seen 
in grassy places. It is not found on Bonaire,” which lies im- 
mediately to the east of Curacao. 
12 K 
