BLANFORD'S BUTTON-QUAIL. 335 



found in small coveys, the males separate from the females. About June 

 these Quails commence to breed; and then they are found only singly or 

 in pairs. They are difficult to flush; but when they rise they fly well, just 

 skimming over the tops of the grass ; it is almost impossible to make them 

 rise a second time. The female constructs a nest which is merely a pad 

 of grass either on the ground or in a clump of grass. I found a nest in the 

 latter situation at Myitkyo in July, containing five eggs ; they were olive- 

 brown speckled with reddish brown. 



Family TURNICID^. 



Genus TUKNIX, Bonn. 



689. TURNIX MACULOSA. 

 BLANFORD'S BUTTON-QUAIL. 



Hemipodius maculosus, Temm. Pig. et Gall. iii. p. 631. Turnix maculatus, 

 Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xxxv. p. 47; David et Oust. Ois. Chine, 

 p. 398. Turnix blanfordii, Bl. J. A. S. B. xxxii. p. 80 ; Bl. 8f Wold. B. Burm. 

 p. 151. Turnix maculosa, Hume, S. F. ii. p. 281, iii. p. 179 ; Hume $ Dav. 

 S. F. vi. p. 452 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. Ill ; Hume fy Marsh. Game Birds, ii. 

 p. 183, pi. j Bingham, S. F. ix. p. 196 ; Oates, S. F. x. p. 236. 



Description. Male and female. Upper plumage rufous, black and yel- 

 low, the fii-st two preponderating, and the yellow not disposed in streaks 

 but rather in oval drops; wing-coverts yellowish buff with large black 

 spots ; the hind neck and upper back frequently all rufous, forming a broad 

 collar; crown of head blackish, with a pale rufous mesial line; sides of the 

 head buff barred with black ; chin and throat buffy white ; breast, sides of 

 the body, vent, flanks and under tail-coverts ferruginous ; the sides of the 

 breast and the sides of the body with large spots of black, which are either 

 round, oval or lunate. 



The disposition of the colours of the upper plumage varies exceedingly ; 

 but this Quail may be said to be characterized by the absence of the con- 

 spicuous yellow streaks so apparent in the other species. 



Legs and claws yellow ; upper mandible dark brown ; lower mandible 

 aud gape pale brown tinged with yellow; iris white. 



Length 6*5 inches, tail 1*6, wing 3'5, tarsus '9, bill from gape *75. The 

 female is much larger, the wing reaching to nearly 4 inches in length. 



