JOURNAL 



OF THE 



Bombay Natural History Society. 



Feb. 1915. Vol. XXIII. No. 3. 



THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 



BY 



E. 0. Stuart Baker, F.L.S., E.Z.S., M.B.O.U. 



Part XY. 

 With Plate XVL 



ORDER HUMIPODII. 



The Hemijpodii, or Bustard Quails, are an order of small birds 

 which in general appearance closely resemble true Quails, but, as 

 far as our Indian birds are concerned, can always be identified at a 

 glance by the fact that they have but three toes, the hallux, or hind 

 toe being absent. According to some naturalists two genera are 

 contained in the one family, i.e., Turnicidce, the Three-Toed 

 Bustard Quails of the genus Turnix, and the Plain Wanderers with 

 four toes, of the genus Pedionimtts, which are confined to Australia. 

 Other scientists; however, put this latter genus in a separate family, 

 but, as it is not represented in Asia, this point does not interest us. 



The nearest relatives of the Bustard Quails are to be found 

 amongst the Gallince, or Game Birds, the Pterocletes or Sand 

 Grouse, and the two Families Bcdlidce (QuailsJ, and Cliarad/riidai 

 (Plovers), of the order Grallce. 



The principal anatomical difference between the Gallince and the 

 Pterocletes and the present order lies in the formation of the 

 vertebrae. In the two former orders the last cervical and anterior 

 dorsals are all anchylosed in fully adult birds, whereas in the 

 Bustard Quail they are free ; in the two former, also, the last dorsal 

 vertebra is united with the lumbar vertibrse to form the sacrum. 



In the Gallince the sternum has two notches and the same with 

 Pterocletes, though in the latter the second notch may be much 

 reduced ; in the Hemipodii there is one deep, long notch only, on 

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