1869.] MR. W. V. LEGGE ON PEDIONOMUS. 237 
the vicinity of Melbourne in the summer, coming down from the 
interior along with Coturnix pectoralis, probably for the pur- 
pose of breeding, and departing northward, I should say, about 
April. 
Mth of the country round Melbourne, including the district 
called the Keilor Plains, is in features suited to the habits of the 
“Collared Plain Wanderer ;’’ and one or two individuals fall every 
season to the gun of the sportsman, as it is found in the same loca- 
lities as the Pectoral Quail. It was in the vicinity of the Keilor 
Plains that I met last January with this singular bird; and as the 
‘locality I found it in was a field of short English grass, I had, for- 
tunately, ample opportunity of observing minutely for some time its 
actions and deportment. In these it has every resemblance to a 
grallatorial, and, as far as can be seen from short observation, very 
little to a rasorial bird. It runs at a medium pace hither and 
thither, checking itself and pausing at times, at the same time twist- 
ing about its high-carried head like a member of the Plover family. 
When in a state of quiescence, it holds itself erect with its head 
raised. Its mode of flight, however, is entirely peculiar to the bird 
itself; it rises suddenly, and for a little space proceeds with a dip- 
ping Finch-like motion, and then settles down into a steady flutter- 
ing flight, reminding one somewhat of a young Lark. A ver 
peculiar feature was exemplified in a second individual (the mate of 
the bird the actions of which I have just described), which, after 
I had flushed it several times, flew off and perched on the lower rail 
of a “ post-and-rail” fence ; it remained in this position for a couple 
of minutes, and then again took flight. 
What I would wish here to call particular attention to is the ege 
of Pedionomus torquatus, which I took perfect in shape and colora- 
tion out of the specimen now before me. It was very large for the 
bird-and was Plover-like, being pytiform and of the exact shape and 
dimensions of the egg of Oharadrius hiaticula. It was of a green- 
ish white ground-colour, blotted and speckled, principally at the 
larger end, and faintly streaked throughout, with umber-brown and 
lilac-grey. In form, then, the egg resembles that of a Wader, though 
the coloration is somewhat peculiar. 
As some authors arrange this bird in the family of the Turni- 
cide, while Bonaparte regards it as belonging to Coturnix (solely on 
account of the presence of the hallux, I suppose), it seems a disputed 
point where to place it exactly. To the mind of the inquiring though 
inexperienced naturalist the subject presents some difficulties, as the 
bird appears intermediate between the rasorial and grallatorial orders, 
and to belong to a separate group. Its habits and actions, the shape 
of its head and bill (which latter is longer than that of other mem- 
bers of the Bustard-quail family ), its length of leg (especially that 
of the tibial joint, so much of which is bare), the delicate structure 
of the leg, moreover, and its feet, its Bustard-like upper plumage, 
and chiefly its egg place it somewhat near the Grallatores ; while 
its diminutive size, the contour of its body, and the Quail-like tail 
show its affinities to the rasorial birds. 
