56 Manual of the Game Birds of India. 



The eggs of the Hemipodes are pyriform 

 in shape and very richly coloured. The 

 young can run as soon as they are 

 hatched. 



In the Hemipodes the wing is fairly 

 pointed, but nevertheless these birds do 

 not fly well. The tail is extremely feeble, 

 short and pointed, and is quite concealed 

 by the coverts. There is no spur on the 

 leg. 



Of the five species of three-toed Quails 

 found within Indian limits, the first two 

 on my list are very distinct from each 

 other and from the last three. These 

 latter resemble each other very closely. 

 In determining these species we must 

 first of all be guided by locality. If the 

 locality be not known, then we must be 

 guided by size and colour. Blanford's 

 Button-Quail is conspicuously larger than 

 the other two, so much so that I think it 

 may be separated by this one character 

 of size alone. The remaining two species 

 are of much the same size, and they can 

 be separated only by colour. In the 

 Indian Button-Quail the plumage is dull 

 with very little rufous in it, whereas in the 

 Nicobar Button Quail the plumage has a 

 considerable amount of bright rufous in it. 



