318 TUENICIN^B. 



The male bird differs in wanting the black on the throat and 

 neck, the chin and throat being whitish ; the markings on the 

 head are whitish-yellow without black specks ; the throat and 

 breast are faintly banded ; and the whole tone of plumage is 

 lighter and less pronounced than in the female. 



The Indian or Black-breasted Bustard Quail is not common, 

 but, with the exception of Sind, occurs more or less in all parts 

 of the district. It breeds during June, July and August, the 

 nest, if it is worthy of the name, being placed in a depression, 

 sheltered by a tuft of sarpat-grass or stunted bush, and is com- 

 posed of a few short pieces of grass. The eggs, four in number, 

 are peg-top shape, of a dirty stone color, densely freckled brown 

 and yellow, with a few well denned black blotches, scattered over 

 the shell, and having also a few underlying patches of inky- 

 purple. 



They average 0'93 inches in length by about 079 in breadth. 



Turnix joudera, Hodgs. 



834. T. dussumieri, Tern. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, 

 p. 599 ; Butler, Guzerat ; Stray Feathers, Vol. IV, p. 8 ; Deccan, 

 Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 424 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of 

 Sind, p. 216 ; Game Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 187 ; Swinhoe 

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



THE LARGE BUTTON QUAIL. 



Length, 5'87 to 612 ; expanse, lO'O to ll'O ; wings, 3'0 to 

 3'25 ; tail, 112 to 1'5 ; tarsus, 0'8 ; bill from gape, 0'62 to 0'69 ; 

 weight, 1-% to I T *J oz. 



Bill yellow, dusky on culmen and at tip ; irides yellowish-white ; 

 legs deep yellow. 



Crown light brown, with blackish margins to the feathers ; 

 a central stripe on the crown ; the supercilia and ear-coverts 

 light fulvescent ; nape bright ferruginous ; back ashy- brown, 

 tending to rufous, the feathers with dark cross bars, most marked 

 on the lower back and rump ; scapulars and some of the nearest 

 dorsal plumes with edgings of creamy-yellow ; wing-coverts 

 light sandy-brown, with a small black spot near the tip which is 

 margined with pale yellowish ; quills earthy-brown, the primaries 

 narrowly edged with yellowish-white ; chin and upper part of 

 throat white ; the rest of the lower parts ferruginous, deepest 

 on the breast and upper part of the abdomen. 



The Large Button Quail is uncommon, but occurs in Sind, 

 Guzerat, Rajputana, Kutch, and portions of the Deccan ; it is, 

 however, very rare in the latter. It breeds during July and 

 August ; the nest, composed of blades of grass, being partially 

 dome-shaped, and is placed at the foot of a tuft of coarse grass, 

 (I have occasionally found the nest unsheltered). The eggs, four 

 in number, are peg-top shape, yellowish-white in color, thickly 

 speckled, spotted, and blotched with brownish-black, and occasional 



