GALLINACEOUS BIRDS. 225 



indicated by a small white patch, and the light brown breast is striped. The eye of both is dark 

 brown, the beak black, and the foot bright yellow. The length of the male is five inches and a 

 quarter, and the breadth nine inches : the tail measures but one inch. The female is not quite so 

 large as her mate. 



This beautiful little Quail is found all over China, the Malay Islands, and in many parts of India, 

 but is rare in the latter country, except in Bengal and the neighbouring provinces. 



" I have killed it," says Jerdon, " only once in the Carnatic. It occurs occasionally in Central 

 India and in the Upper Provinces, as far as Bareilly, but it is rare in all these localities, and perhaps 

 only stragglers find their way so far. In Lower Bengal it is tolerably abundant in low grassy meadows, 

 the borders of indigo-fields, and in the grasses on road-sides ; and in Purneah, in the month of July, it 

 was tlie only Quail I observed." 



This species breeds in July, the eggs being pale olive-green. Wlien the young are full-grown they 

 spread themselves all over the country, and this dispersion is greatly assisted and in many parts 

 perhaps caused by the heavy inundations to which great part of the country in Bengal is annually 

 subjected, generally in August and September. In the cold season they are replaced by the Grey 

 Quail and the so-called Rain Quail. 



These birds, according to Bernstein, live by preference in thick, extensive wilds, where they are 

 easily hidden between high stalks of plants, but nevertheless visit the fields and pastures in the 

 vicinity of dwellings. Their quiet and retired mode of life makes it difficult to observe their habits. 

 They take wing unwillingly, and avoid danger rather by running or squeezing themselves tlu-ough 

 sheltering plants than by flight. Their note is genrie, beginning loud and gradually becoming softer, 

 " du, du, du," or " du, du, hi." Their food consists of insects, worms, and a variety of seeds ; 

 Bernstein himself kept them on grasshoppers and various insects. He several times found their nest, 

 which was in a little hollow of the ground, scraped by the mother, and in diis she prepared her bed of 

 dry grass, stalks, and roots. In none of these nests were there more than six eggs ; tliese are of a 

 greyish olive-green, or olive-brown, more or less thickly sprinkled with numerous olive-brown specks. 

 Bernstein tells us that these birds retain their shyness when tamed, and often injure themselves by 

 beating against their cage ; but Swinhoe says that in Canton they are highly esteemed as cage-birds, 

 and may be pretty regularly found in the markets there. Latham informs us that this species, as well 

 as the Common Quail, is used by the Chinese to warm their hands in winter, as may be seen in many 

 drawings and paper-hangings from China, and that many of these birds are made into pies as a 

 delicacy for Europeans during their voyage home. They are caught in China as in Europe by means 

 of a call-pipe. 



The BUSBE QUAII^S {Tttrnices) are small birds with slender bodies, moderate-sized rounded 

 wings, in which either the first quill is the longest, or the three first are of equal length. Their tail is 

 composed of from ten to twelve narrow, weak feathers, and so small as to be almost entirely 

 concealed beneath the upper and lower tail-covers ; the medium-sized, straight, thin beak is high at its 

 culmen and slightly arched towards its tip ; the nostrils are situated at either side of the bill, and are 

 partially covered with a small fold of skin ; the delicate feet have long tarsi, and usually three or 

 occasionally four toes. 



The Bush Quails are spread over the whole of the Eastern Hemisphere, but are quite unknown 

 in the western division of the globe. Australia would, however, appear to be their principal head- 

 quarters, for in that country, according to Gould, they are met with in every part that has as yet been 

 explored, except in the neighbouring islands. Everywhere they select open plains, stony tracts 

 covered with grass, or mountain sides, and in such situations lead a life so retired as to render their 

 VOL. HI. — io3 



