26 Mr. D. Seth-Smith,


summer the call-note of the males can be heard daily, consisting

of some deep hollow sounds several times repeated in quick

succession." (Rowley's Orn. Misc., II,, p. 424).



Cotumix coromandelica. The Rain - Quail (fig. IV.) is

somewhat smaller than the species above referred to and

absolutely distinct, its nearest ally being C. delegorguei of Africa.

The female however is much like the female of the Common

Quail only smaller. In fact in all of the true quails the females

are very much alike ; plain little brown birds without any con-

spicuous markings, that of C. delegorguei being the most distinct.


The Rain-Quail is not very often imported, but it is a very

■charming bird for a well-turfed aviary, and although very wild

when first received, soon gets tame, and breeds quite freely.

The hen generally selects for her nest a spot beneath a tuft of

grass, or in the midst of a heap of hay and rubbish. The hen is

an excellent sitter and her plumage harmonizes wonderfully

with her surroundings. The eggs, as in the other species of

this genus, vary considerably, but the usual ground-colour is

buff or stone-colour which is heavily blotched and spotted with

dark brown. Measurement in inches no x '85. In my aviary

the usual clutch has been six or seven, but nine is no un-

common number for these quails. Incubation is completed in

from sixteen to eighteen days, the period varying slightly accord-

ing to the temperature of the weather. Here I may remark

that it is not always easy to determine the exact period of

incubation as the sitting bird does not leave the nest until

some hours after the chicks are actually hatched. A hen Rain-

Quail which commenced to sit early in the day of July 12th left

the nest with her brood on the morning of the 29th, which

would apparently fix the period of incubation at 17^ days, but it

is probable that she actually hatched late on the previous day

or during the night. As a rule two broods are reared during

the year, the first in May or June, and the second in July or

August. The chicks when first hatched, are covered with

a thick fluffy down, the head and underparts being bright

yellowish buff-colour, two stripes of the same colour passing

down the back. The centre stripe down the back and two



