580 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



ful species, poorly figured in Hardwicke's Illustrations. This is 

 not unfrequently double spurred, and, says Blyth, displays unmis- 

 takeable affinities for Polyplectron and Galloperdix. It extends up 

 the Malayan Peninsula as high as Mergui. It appears to me that 

 Perdix thoracica, Temminck, supposed to be from the Philippine 

 Islands, is more allied to this group of Wood-partridges than to true 

 Perdix -with which Blyth would class it. It has a larger and firmer 

 tail than Arboricola, and possesses spurs, which, however, are irre- 

 gular in number. 



As a very anomalous form of spurless Partridges might here 

 be placed Rollulus (formerly Cryptonyx) eoronatus, the crowned 

 Partridge of Malacca, extending to Mergui, remarkable for 

 wanting the claw of the hind toe ; and R. niger, fthe female of 

 which is R. ferrugineus of Gray in Hardwicke's Illustration,) 

 the type of Melanoperdix, which possesses a minute hind claw. 

 Gray places these birds in a distinct sub-family {Rollulince, 

 Bonap.,) in which I think he is right ; indeed from their colora- 

 tion, the fan-like crest, and the different colour of the sexes, 

 they ought rather to be placed with the Gallincc than with the 

 Partridges. The crest is similar to that of the crowned pigeons, 

 Goura, and the bare frontal plumes of Rollulus are only represented, 

 elsewhere, in this family, by some of the American Partridges. 



5th. Bush-quails. 



The dwarf Partridges or Bush-quails, belong more strictly to 

 this sub-family than to that of the true Quails, though placed 

 among the latter by Bonaparte. 



Gen. Perdicula, Hodgson. 



Bengal Sporting Revietc, 1837, 1 p. 344. 



Char. — Bill short, thick, well curved; tarsus with a blunt 

 tubercle; wings firm, much rounded, outer web of mo§t of the pri- 

 maries sinuated and moderately firm ; tail short, of twelve feathers. 

 Of very small size. Sexes differ in plumage. 



This genus is peculiar to India proper, not being found to the 

 east of the Bay of Bengal, nor, as far as we know, across the 

 Indus. It is not very distantly removed from Perdix, and has 

 also some more remote analogies with the American Partridges. 

 The species are called Bush-quail by sportsmen, and are found either 



