BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 107 



BROWN QUAIL 

 (Syncecus australis, Temm.) 



Male. Forehead and throat greyish- white tinged with buff; 

 all the upper surface irregularly marked with grey, black, and 

 chestnut, each feather with a distinct narrow white stripe down 

 the shaft; wings marked with obscure lines of grey, brown, and 

 black; all the under surface buffy-grey ("pale rufous-buff" 

 Hall), each feather having numerous zig-zag markings of black, 

 and many with a fine stripe of white down the centre; bill blackish- 

 brown; legs and feet flesh-colour. Dimensions in mm. : Length, 

 205; bill, 15; wing, 106; tail, 48; tarsus, 24. 



Female. " Differs from male in having the black markings 

 and patch on the upper and under parts much coarser; the centres 

 of the feathers are not grey, and the shaft-stripes, which are much 

 wider than in the male, are pale buff " (B. M. Cat.) 



Young. Closely resembles adult female. 



(According to Ml 1 . W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, the old males are 

 nearly uniform in colour, the cross bars arid shafts almost entirely 

 disappearing.) 



Nest. A variety of situations are chosen by different birds; 

 they vary from in the centre or under the shelter of a clump 

 of tussock-grass or rushes to a furrow in a green paddock. The 

 nest itself is a flimsy structure of grass and leaves. 



Eggs. Clutch seven to eleven; roundish, but sharply com- 

 pressed at one end ; somewhat coarse in texture ; surface glossy : 

 colour dull to bluish white, finely freckled with olive or light 

 brown. Dimensions in mm. of a small clutch : (1) 32 x 23, (2) 

 34 x 24, (3) 33 x 23, (4) 34 x 23, (5) 31 x 22, (6) 31 x 23, (7) 33 x 

 24. 



Breeding Season. November to January, 



Geographical Distribution. Tasmania, including many of the 

 Bass Strait isfands, Australia in general, and New Guinea. 



Observations. Shooting begins 1st May, ends 30th June. 

 Among sportsmen there is a diversity of opinion as to whether 

 this species or the Stubble Quail is the better sporting bird. The 

 Brown Quail rises quickly 'and speeds on a strong wing in a 

 fairly straight line, offering a good mark to a quick, straight shot. 



Moist grassy flats and swampy localities are mostly favoured, 

 but it may also be found among ' ' root ' ' crops and in situations 

 favoured by the Stubble Quail. The stomachs of a number of 

 birds of the species under discussion were examined and found 

 to contain grass in i-inch lengths and dock seeds. Some few- 

 years since an effort was made by a number of sports'men to 

 have Quail in general totally protected for at least a couple of 

 seasons, for it was argued that the birds were becoming woefully 

 scarce. Nothing came of the agitation, however, several sports- 



