THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 411 



the two types are about equal, whilst in Eastern Bengal the freckled 

 form is that most often seen. 



The shape, texture and surface of these eggs differ in no way from 

 those of the Black-breasted Bustard Quail, though the size differs tO' 

 the extent one would have expected. I have now the measurements 

 of 42 eggs, and these run in length from -78" (= 19-8 mm.) to 

 •89" (= 22-6 mm.), and in breadth from -63" (= 16-0 mm.) to- 

 •70" (= 17-8 mm.), the average being -84" (= 21-8 mm.) x -66" 

 full (= 16-7 mm.). 



Habits. — This little Hemipode has much the same habits, and 

 frequents much the same kind of cover as the Common or Black- 

 breasted Bustard Quail. It may be found in any sort of jungle,, 

 except dense evergreen forest, and even into these it wanders a little 

 way from the wider open cultivation or grass lands. It likes 

 bamboo jungle, especially that which is composed of small clump 

 bamboo, which affords it excellent shelter with but little under- 

 growth. It is found in gardens, orchards, patches of sun grass, near 

 tanks and ponds, and in the half-trodden down scrub jungle, which 

 surrounds so many villages in Eastern Bengal. It may also be 

 flushed occasionally from any kind of crop, such as hill rice, millet,. 

 wheat, or even from various Dahls, standing as high as six feet, 

 or from young sugarcane, jute, etc. Undoubtedly, however, its 

 favourite haunts are fairly wide stretches of sun grass, not necessarily 

 either very long or very dense, for the little bird seems to enjoy 

 places where it can run about with ease and freedom. 



It is an inveterate little skulker, and a wonderful runner, so that 

 it is an even harder bird to flush than its bigger relative Turnix 

 pugnax. So hard is it to seduce to rise, that I have shot over wide 

 stretches ol grass for Florican and other game without seeing a 

 single bird, though we had close lines of beaters working through 

 with us ; yet, on setting alight this same grass, the fire has forced 

 a dozen or more of these birds to leave its shelter. 



They love basking in the sun in tiny open spaces in the grass,. 

 and I have more than once come across them in some small hollow 

 scratched in the dust or sand, in the middle of the patch, lying in 

 luxurious ease half on their sides, with uppermost wing and leg 

 stretched out, and eyes blinking in self-satisfied enjoyment, until 

 they rest on the intruder, and then in a second thej are off with a 

 whirr in a headlong flight. But their flight only lasts for a few 

 yards, and they then pitch suddenly into the grass, or cover, not to 

 get up again, however closely one may search. I once came across 

 a little family party thus sunning themselves in the middle of a 

 jungle path. I was wearing rubber shoes, and had approached with 

 complete silence, so that it was not until I had watched them for some 

 moments that they spotted me and flew off. The young were tiny 

 things, not half grown, but they flew as fast as the old bird, all 



