298 FIRST LIST OF THE BIRDS OF 



in course of construction ; it was built in the centre of a 

 clump of bamboos near a ryot's house and about 10 feet off 

 the ground ; the birds deserted it eventually. 



798.— *Chalcophaps indiea, Lin. 



Rare ; for during the year I only saw four pairs. I shot 

 one on the 17th July 1878, from off a bamboo clump, but it 

 was too cut up to be skinned ; frequents shady places in dense 

 clumps of trees and bamboos. I have often mistaken the note 

 of this bird for that of the Malkoha. 



829,— Coturnix communis, Bonn. 



Males.-— Expanse, 13-50 to 14-0 ; wing, 4'10 to 4'16 ; 

 tail, 1-58 to 1-91 ; tarsus, 1*0 to 1-08 ; bill from gape, 0-58 to 

 # 66; closed wings fall short of end of tail, 0-92 to 050; 

 weight, 3 - 62 to 3*87 ozs. 



Females. — Expanse, 13* to 14 ; wing, 4 # 08 to 4*33 ; tail, 

 1-58 to 174; tarsus, 0-92 to 1-08; bill from gape, 0-61 to 

 0*65; closed wings fall short of end of tail, 0*42 to 0*90; 

 weight, 3-62 to 4-62 ozs. 



Common in the cold weather, when they are to be found 

 singly, in pairs, and small coveys in fields of indigo, rapeseed, 

 and such like crops. Just before sunrise very nice shooting 

 can be had by walking along the small " bunds" of these 

 fields, as the birds at that time lie along the sides of these, and 

 it is not till about an hour after sunrise that they disperse 

 amongst the standing crops to feed. 



830.— Coturnix coromandelica, Ginel. 



\Wi March 1878, Female.— Expanse, 10-83 ; wing, 3-60 ; 

 tail from vent, 1*42 ; tarsus, 0*92 ; bill from gape, 0'58 ; at 

 front, 0'46 ; closed wings fall short of end of tail, 0*50 ; 

 weight, 2 '37 ozs. 



Pretty common ; it affects the same situations as the last, 

 and being so very like the Grey Quail is often overlooked. 



835.— *Turnix dussumieri, Tern. 



Common, but from its retiring habits difficult to procure. 

 One of my syces when cutting grass in an indigo field, caught 

 an adult bird, and to prevent its flying away the idiot 

 pulled off every feather from the wings, and when I got the 

 bird the bare skin was only left on the wings. When feeding 

 it one day my servant let it go. When going through ie Sun" 

 grass fields this bird is often flushed. 



