Mr. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant on the Genus Turnix. 453 



buff or whitish shaft-streak, becoming 

 more or less spatulate towards the 

 margin. Feathers surrounding the eye 

 black spotted with white. 

 /*'. Bill moderately stout ; a fairly defined 



bright rufous nuchal collar ; back 



black, each feather irregularly and 



narrowly barred with rufous T. varia, 5 ad. 



»'. Bill very stout ; upper surface uniform 



dull Ught red, one or two of the 



feathers of the middle of the back 



mixed with black T. castanonota, cT & 5 f^d. 



I. Chest rufous. Feathers rouud the eye 

 black spotted with white. Upper sui'face 

 stone-grey, most of the feathers of the 

 back with narrow transverse bars of ru- 

 fous and black T.pyrrhothurax, cJ & 5 fid. 



K. Chest dull light red, darker at the sides 

 than in the middle. Feathers surround- 

 ing the eye dull light red, like the rest 

 of the upper surface. Bill very stout . . T. velox, cT & $ ad. 



Ill the first section of the genus Turnix, which contains the 

 greater number of the species^ all are distinguished by having 

 the tarsus longer than the middle toe and claw (see fig. 1, 

 p. 448). 



Group I. — I shall begin by dealing with the members 

 of the group which have the breast-feathers barred, and in 

 which the adult female has the throat and middle of the breast 

 black. 



Messrs. Hume and Marshall^ in the ' Game Birds of India, 

 Burmah and Ceylon/ consider that in these countries two 

 species, Turnix plumbipes and T. taigoor, can be distinguished 

 and are found in difterent geographical areas, the former 

 inhabiting the higher and well- watered jungle-districts where 

 the rainfall is heavy, while the latter is found only in dry 

 regions where the rainfall is moderate. 



The National Collection now contains Mr. Hume^s large 

 scries of these little birds, without which it would be utterly 

 impossible to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion when so 

 much variety in plumage and size is found among individuals 

 of the same species ; and I hope from this material not only 

 to be able to prove to my readers that these two species, 



