Mr. Reginald Phieeipps,



150



legs and toes. Its various parts, taken by themselves, reminded

me of just so many different species, but when put together

they produced a bird which differed from each and every of

them.


The bird was half crouching on the sand, head, body, and

tail nearly in a straight line, but with the tail-end tilted up the

other depressed ; and thus it remained exactly where I had placed

it, and as rigid and motionless as if it had been a wooden Dove

out of a child’s Noah’s Ark. The top and back of the head were

brown washed with slate, this colour occupying the whole space

between two much lengthened white superciliary streaks, but on

the forehead and behind the ear-coverts the slate was more

pronounced. The chest, right across from side to side, was

rich blue-slate, and I thought of the Californian Quail, but, on

recollecting that the latter has a crest, I decided rather upon the

Chinese Quail. On the hind cheeks, however, there was a

conspicuous oblong patch of white, and the throat was jet black,

pointing to the familiar Chinese Jay-Thrush, Garrulax chinensis.

But as my eyes wandered over the upper parts, and I gazed 011

the rich red-brown feathers each with a central streak of darker,

I recognised the Alpine Accentor.


On examining the under parts, I found that the blue-slate

chest was sharply bounded below by a thick irregular, or perhaps

double, band of large oval black beads, below which came an

unspotted abdominal region of dull cream, strongly suggestive

of the Sand-Grouse ; but the unspotted centre was bordered by

very thickly spotted flanks, the rich colour of which was un¬

mistakably that of the Fieldfare.


I had proceeded thus far with my examination when,

wishing to inspect the bird from a different point of view, I

mechanically reached out my hand in order to give it a twist

round, when it suddenly started up, and marched along the

length of the cage with a gait and movement there was no

mistaking, and with impatient annoyance I ejaculated — A

Pheasant ; but as the creature stalked solemnly back, each

movement of leg accompanied by a chuck of the tail, just the

wooden toy with movable tail going click click as by clock-work,

I exclaimed with increased bitterness—A cheeky Weka Rail.



