ANDALUSIAN IIEMIPODE. 409 



quail-like birds, but with three toes only, which from their 

 very diminutive size were considered the pigmies among 

 the gallinaceous birds. They live on sterile sandy plains 

 or on the confines of great deserts : they run with great 

 speed, seldom taking wing ; ready to hide themselves 

 at the slightest appearance of danger, and are found with 

 difficulty among the herbage under which they conceal 

 themselves. But one species is known in Europe, and of 

 that one, parts of its history are still involved in some 

 obscurity. It is found in the southern countries of Europe 

 from Spain to Italy, and it is also found in North Africa, 

 from Barbary to Tripoli. Dr. Latham, in a note, quoting 

 Pennant, says, most likely this is the same bird with 

 the Three-toed Quail of Shaw, which he says is a bird 

 of passage, and is caught by running it down ; for having 

 been sprung once or twice, it becomes so fatigued as to be 

 overtaken and knocked down with a stick. Trawls in 

 Barbary, p. 800. M. Temminck considers that it does 

 not migrate because it is found in Sicily in November and 

 December, yet its pointed wings indicate considerable 

 powers of flight. It is found in Europe, more particularly 

 in various parts of Spain, from Gibraltar to Arragon : its 

 food consists of seeds, grain, and insects ; it is considered 

 to be polygamous, but its habits in reference to nidification 

 are imperfectly known. 



The first occurrence of a pair of the Andalusian Hemi- 

 pode in this country is thus recorded in the 1 4th volume 

 of the Annals of Natural History, in a letter to the 

 editors : 



" Gentlemen, I have recently received a bird which 

 appears to me to be new to this country ; it is a Quail, 

 having no back toe, and is not mentioned, I believe, in any 



