QUAILS 



Next we have the Chinese quail (Coturnix chinensis\ also 

 a very small bird, being only about 5.5 inches long. This 

 bird may be briefly described as of a rich brown colour, 

 with here and there a touch of black, the tail coverts being 

 slaty blue in centre to chestnut at edges. The legs and 

 feet are a strikingly vivid yellow colour. 



I have shot one or two of these pretty little birds in the 

 chenas near the estate, but they are principally to be found 

 in the low country of the west of Ceylon, in damp spots 

 such as grassy hollows in the jungle. 



Finally there is the jungle bush-quail (Perdicula asiatica), 

 the largest of the species in Ceylon. It is more or less of 

 the miniature partridge type, and is practically only to be 

 met with in the low country of the Eastern Province, where 

 it is fairly numerous. These birds run to about 6.5 inches 

 in length, and are stout, plump, and good for the table. 



From quail we pass on to partridge, of which we have 

 two varieties in Ceylon. The grey partridge (Qrtygornis 

 pondiceriana), usually spoken of as the " red-legged par- 

 tridge," is entirely confined, according to Legge, to the 

 north and north-west coast of Ceylon and the islands off 

 that coast. It is found as far south as Puttalam, and is 

 never to be met with more than 5 or 6 miles inland, con- 

 fining itself near the coast to sandy soil studded with low 

 bushes and stunted jungle. Dogs are very necessary for the 

 shooting, otherwise they can never be got to fly, preferring 

 to run. Personally, I have never shot any of these birds. 



The other partridge is the painted partridge (Francolinus 

 pictus\ and Legge says it is entirely confined to the patnas 

 of Uva and Haputale, at an elevation of about 4000 feet, 

 more or less. They are found in hollows and on slopes 

 amongst thick bushes or grass, and never seem to come 

 into the open. They can only be successfully flushed by 



