pekdicin^e. 585 



The Painted Bush-quail. 



Descr. — Male, forehead, lores, and crown of head black ; a white 

 frontal band, continued as a supercilium over each eye ; upper 

 plumage rich olive brown, with black lunules ; scapulars, wing- 

 coverts and secondaries with large patches of black, the shaft pale 

 yellow, and some faint cross lines of the same ; primaries brown, 

 the outer webs barred with dark rufous ; tail brown with black 

 spots, and barred with narrow pale yellow lines ; beneath, the 

 chin is pure white, bordered by black ; the rest of the lower parts 

 are rufous, passing into olive brown on the sides of the neck, and 

 with a few spots of black on the breast, increasing in size on the 

 sides of the neck and breast ; feathers of the flanks with large 

 spots of deep black tipped with white. 



Bill and legs fine red ; irides yellow brown. Length 6^ inches ; 

 wing o; tail 1^; tarsus 1. 



The female differs in having the chin, supercilium, forehead, and 

 face rufous, in place of white, and the head is brown instead of 

 being black. 



This very handsome Bush-quail has only been found on the 

 higher lands of Southern India, extending along the crest of the 

 Ghats, from the Wynaad to near Poonah, at all events. I have 

 observed it on the Neilgherries, in the Wynaad, and in Coorg ; 

 Col. Sykes recorded it from the valley of Karleh, associating with 

 Francolinus pictas, and Mr. W. Elliot obtained it on the inter- 

 vening ranges of Dharwar. It is far from rare in Wynaad, and 

 abundant on the Neilgherries, frequenting bushy ground and 

 patches of ferns on hill sides, or in the valleys. It frequently 

 enters gardens at Ootacamund, and may be watched from the 

 windows, running actively about, picking up seeds and insects, and 

 I have known many fall victims to the stealthy pounce of some 

 domestic Cat. It lives in moderately large bevies, which rise all 

 together, but with less whirr than the other Bush-quails, their 

 plumage generally being softer and not so firm. 



No other species are known. 



Sub-fam. CoTUiiNiciNiE, Quails. 



Wings pointed, rather long; bill moderate; tarsi not spurred ; 

 of small size. Sexes differ somewhat in coloration. Of univer- 



PART II. 4 E 



