THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 399 



The secondary markings are of pale pnrple or lavender grey, but are 

 in most cases almost obliterated by the superior markings. 



In some eggs the markings are all reduced to the very finest dots, 

 in others they are all rather bolder, and in others again the two are 

 intermixed. In a few the big dark blotches outnumber the smaller 

 marks and give a more handsome appeai'ance to the egg. As a rule 

 the spots, etc., of whatever nature they may be are distributed 

 thickly all over the egg, but even more so towards the larger end 

 where they sometimes form a well defined ring or cap, the markings 

 in which are bolder and darker than elsewhere. 



In a few eggs in my collection the ground colour is decidedly 

 reddish, and the markings, which consist of reddish and deep brown, 

 are very large and handsome, giving the whole egg quite a bright red 

 tint. Fewer still than these, but yet now and then met with, are 

 eggs in which yellow predominates rather than red. 



The surface is fine and close, and often has a considerable gloss, 

 and the shell is very stout for so small an egg. The internal skin is 

 pure white. 



The average size of the eggs of Turnix i^ucjnax ]3lumhi2yes is 

 exactly I'O" x -82" (^2-54 x 2-08 mm.) and they range in length 

 from -89" to 1-16" (=2-25 to 2-94mm.), and in breadth from -76" 

 to '89" (=1'93 to 2-25mm.) ; the average given is that of 526 

 eggs. 



Habits. — This Bustard Quail is found at all heights up to 8,000 

 feet, and again well out into the plains, but though it is a bird of 

 more or less open patches of country, it is also essential that such 

 open country should be interspersed with forest and jungle, and 

 well watered. 



Hume seems to have thought that to a certain extent Bustard 

 Quails are migratory, moving about according to the season in the 

 plains and higher or lower in the Hills in the hot and cold 

 months. In the drier portions of their habitat in the plains, it is 

 probable they are only to be found after the rains commence, 

 leaving them again as soon as the winter drought begins to take 

 •effect, but as regards elevation, heat and cold seems to have no 

 effect, and they may be found at Darjiling at 8,000 feet elevation 

 all the year round. So also in the North Cachar, Khasia and Naga 

 Hills they may be found equally numerous all the year, either in 

 the plains at their foot, or in the higher hills. In North 

 Cachar I found it quite common at 6,000 feet in December and 

 January. 



It may be found in almost any kind of country other than dense 

 forest without openings, or, the opposite extreme, sandy open grass 

 land without any forest near it. Perhaps it prefers, above all other 

 kinds of ground, thin grass or scriib jungle, more or less broken up 

 with bare patches or with cultivation. At the same time, it maybe 



