316 COTURNICIN^E, 



white and a few blackish spots on the breast and sides of the 

 neck ; the rest of the lower plumage pale rufous, deepest on the 

 lower neck and breast, and becoming earthy on the flanks and 

 vent ; the long feathers of the flanks pale chocolate color, with a 

 broad central stripe and some black blotches. 



The female chiefly differs in wanting the rufous-brown patches 

 on the throat and breast, which is much spotted with brown ; 

 she is larger than the male. 



The Grey Quail is a common winter visitant to all portions of 

 our limits. It is much more common in some years than in 

 others. A few pairs do occasionally remain to breed, but these 

 are probably sickly or injured birds. 



Coturnix coromandelica, Gm. 



830. Jerdon's Birds of India, Yol. II, p. 588 ; Butler, Guzerat ; 

 Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 7 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, 

 Vol. IX, p. 423 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, 

 p. 215 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 151 ; Swinhoe and 

 Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 132. 



THE BLACK-BREASTED QUAIL. 



Length, 6'5 to 7'25 ; expanse, 7'83 to 1212 ; wing, 3'43 to 

 37 ; tail, 1-2 to T56 ; tarsus, 0'9 to TO ; bill from gape, 0*5 to 

 0'6 ; weight, 2'2 to 3 oz. 



Bill blackish, paler at base beneath ; irides brown ; legs and 

 feet pale fleshy. 



Male, upper surface closely resembles that of the Grey Quail, 

 but is somewhat brighter, and the colors more pronounced, the 

 yellow stripes being in greater number ; chin and throat pure 

 white ; two narrow cross bands of black on the throat, the upper 

 one joined by a longitudinal stripe on each side from the base 

 of the lower mandible ; below these the breast is black, breaking 

 up into black blotches on the abdomen, extending along the 

 flanks as far as the vent ; lower belly white, tinged with rufous 

 on the flanks and lower tail-coverts ; primaries plain unbarred 

 brown. 



The female wants the black breast and cross bars, and has the 

 neck and breast spotted dark-brown. 



Young males have less of the black on the breast, which is 

 broken up into spots and blotches. During the breeding season, 

 the black breast is more marked, the bill also is darker, and the 

 legs redder. 



The Rain Quail is generally distributed throughout the district, 

 and is in most places a permanent resident ; in Sind it occurs 

 as a seasonal visitant. It breeds during August, September and 

 October, making a slight nest in a depression on the ground. 

 The eggs, eight or nine in number, are usually broad oval in shape, 

 and vary in color from pale yellowish to rich cafe-au-lait. 



The markings are of three types : 



