TURNIX. 571 



Hab* Tenasserim, in Pegu, Arracan, and Hill Tipperah. Found about 

 gardens or in the immediate vicinity of cultivation. It is said to be hard to 

 flush, and only flies a short distance before again dropping. It is everywhere 

 thinly distributed, and is a terrible skulk, likejoudera, an allied species which 

 is barely separable from this. Nothing is known of its habits or nidification, 



1243. Turnix albiventris, Hume, Sir. F. \. p. 310; ii. p. 281; 



id. and Marsh., Game Birds, ii. p. 199, pi The NICOBAR BUTTON QUAIL. 



Lores and a circle round the eye pale fulvous ; base of bill and two stripes 

 along the crown to the nape black, the feathers narrowly margined with 

 chestnut ; ear coverts fulvous, tipped darker ; sides of the neck fulvous buff, 

 spotted with black ; sides and back of the neck, interscapulary region and 

 scapulars bright chestnut, more or less variegated with yellowish white and 

 black ; lower back and rump, also the upper tail coverts blackish brown, the 

 feathers tipped with chestnut, and a subterminal freckled bar of the same 

 colour ; tail feathers greyish brown with obsolete blackish brown bars ; pri- 

 maries, secondaries and greater coverts pale satin brown, the outer web of the 

 first nearly white ; rest narrowly edged with pale fulvous ; tertiaries pinkish- 

 brown, mottled with blackish brown towards their tips, and with a yellowish 

 brown spot there on the outer webs ; most of the secondary coverts pale buff, 

 with blackish brown irregularly shaped spots near the tips ; chin and upper 

 portion of the throat pure white ; rest of throat and middle of breast light 

 feruginous ; sides of the breast pale buff, with regular narrow transverse 

 blackish brown bars ; middle of abdomen white ; sides, vent, tibial plumes, 

 flanks and lower tail coverts tinged buffy. The female has the black stripes 

 on the head, edged with white and not chestnut ; the stripe dividing them is 

 also white ; back of the neck and upper back occupied by a broad, intensely 

 bright chestnut collar, entirely unmarked and unspotted ; ear coverts, sides of 

 the head, and a line under the eye pale fulvous, dotted with black ; entire chin, 

 throat and upper breast bright ferruginous ; rest of the plumage like that of 

 the male ; irides white ; legs and feet yellow, tinged orange ; upper mandible 

 horny brown, yellowish at gape ; lower mandible yellow, tipped horny. 



Length. 6 inches ; wing 3 ; tail 1*4 ; tarsus O - 9 ; bill from gape O'7. 



Hab. Port Blair in the Andamans ; also the Nicobar Islands. 



ORDER, GRALLATORES, WADERS or SHORE BIRDS. 



Tarsi long, rounded ; tibia bare to a greater or less extent ; hind toe imper- 

 fect in most or absent ; wings long ; neck long or of moderate length, generally 

 in proportion to the length of the legs ; bill variable in size and structure. 

 All, except the Ostriches and Emeus (which do not fly) fly well, and stretch 

 their legs out behind them during flight. 



Tribe, PRESSIROSTRES. Cuvier. 



Hind toe small, absent or moderate ; bill depressed at base, and rather 

 compressed on the sides. It comprises the Otilidic or Bustards and Floricans ; 



