on the Breeding of the Australian Swamp-Quail. 365


were extremely sliy and kept in close hiding amongst the shrubs

and long grass ; but before many weeks had passed they became

comparatively tame. They kept close together, and if by chance

they became separated they would immediately utter their call

which consists of two notes only.


Towards the end of May the first two or three eggs were

laid, but the birds had not settled upon a nesting site. On the

6th of June I discovered one egg in what was evidently intended

to be a nest. It was merely a slight “ scratch ” lined with a few

stems of grass, beneath the shelter of a few sticks and a little

coarse grass. The following day a second egg was laid in the

nest, but later in the day both eggs had been rolled out. I re¬

placed them, and the next day a third was laid. O11 June 16th

the hen commenced to sit 011 nine eggs.


During incubation the cock was rarely far from the nest,

and whenever the hen came off to feed he would join her and

ofifer her any delicacy he chanced to find. On the 6th of July

the cock joined the female on the nest, and later in the day the

pair emerged with a brood of seven chicks. In size these were

about equal to those of the Common or the Rain Quail; their

colour was dark brown, with the usual game-bird striping on

the head and back of a rather lighter colour.


Old and 3^01111 g were shut into a small wire run, a pre¬

caution I now invariably adopt with Quails, as it prevents old and

young becoming separated through fright or otherwise, and safe¬

guards them against the robbeiy of their insect food by the other

occupants of the aviaiy.


The 3 ? oung of some of the Quails can be reared on little

besides soft food, so long as this contains plenty of tlie yolk of

fresh hard-boiled eggs; but there is nothing so good as fresh

ants’ cocoons (the dried are next to useless) if these can be

obtained, and in this case the young birds were chiefty reared

on this diet, soft food with finel} r chopped grass and chickweed

being also eaten. The young grew apace, and, as with almost all

young game-birds, w r ere capable of flight when about ten days

old.


The Swamp Quail is strictly monogamous, both parents

taking charge of the young, a habit which separates them from



