18 THE BIRDS OF AXJSTBALIA 



Nest in fairly thick herbage and usually in a slight 

 hollow and lined with grass. The clutch is from four to 

 six, and the eggs are of a light olive-green, thickly freckled 

 with darker markings and measure about 1.05 x .79 inch. 



Oedee Tdenicifoemes. 



Feet generally with three toes only, the hallux being absent, 

 except in Podionomus. Oil-gland tufted. Eggs double-spotted, 

 three to five in number ; nest none. The female is always larger, 

 and the plumage more handsome than in the male. The male 

 mostly incubates the eggs and tends the young. 



Family Turnicidm. 

 Genera. Hind toe absent. Turnix. 



Hind toe present. Pedionomus. 



The Red-backed Quail. 



Turnix maculosa. 



North and East Australia, Southern New Guinea, South-east Celebes. 



Adult Female: Throat and breast pale rufous, belly whitish buff; 

 feathers on top of head black margined with dark grey, a buff line down 

 the middle of head, a rufous nuchal collar; scapulars edged with straw 

 colour. Bill slender. Length 5.8 inches, wing 3.2, tail 1.3, tarsus .85. 



Adult Male: Resembles the female, but shows no trace of the nuchal 

 collar. Length 5.1 inches, wing 2.8, tail 1.2, tarsus .8. 



The Black-breasted Quail. 



Turnix melanog aster. 



Bastern_^ New South Wales and Queensland. 



Female: Chest black, many of the feathers having terminal bars of 

 white; upper surface umber-brown, with irregular marks of black 

 rufous and white; forehead, sides of face, chin, and throat black Under- 

 parts dark grey, marbled with buff and black; tail brown with wavy 

 transverse bars of black and lateral buff spots. Total length 7 5 inches 

 wing 4.4, tail 1.7, tarsus 1. ' ' 



Male: Top of head umber-brown, like back; lores and sides of head 

 white tipped with black; chin and throat white; chest whitish buff 

 irregularly marked with black; underparts white. Total lenath fi ^ l„„v.„ 

 wing 4.1, tail 1.6, tarsus 0.95. ^ inches. 



