PHASIANIDffi COTUKNIX 225 



the Colony, extending northwards to Ehodesia, the Zambesi and 

 Ovampoland. It is only between the months of October and March 

 that it is to be seen in any great numbers, though it is possible 

 to come across a few stray birds at all times of the year. In Bast 

 and Central Africa it appears to have been obtained during all the 

 months of the year, but our knowledge of its movements is still very 

 imperfect. 



South African localities are as follows : — Cape Colony — Swellen- 

 dam, Grahamstown (Layard), East London (Wood), King William's 

 Town (Trevelyan), Makara Eiver, near Vryburg (Ayres) ; Natal 

 (Bt. Mus.) ; Orange Eiver Colony — near Lindley, breeding December 

 (Sparrow) ; Transvaal — Upper Limpopo Eiver, February (Dela- 

 gorgue, type), Marico Eiver (Ayres), Barberton and Swaziland, 

 November to February (GilfiUan) ; Bechuanaland — near Lake 

 Ngami, March (S. A. Mus.) ; Ehodesia — Bulawayo, October to 

 March (Oates and Tredgold), near Salisbury, very abundant 

 February, 1904 (Marshall) ; German South-west Africa — Ondonga, 

 March (Andersson) ; Portuguese East Africa — Tete (Bt. Mus.), 

 Chicowa and Kafue Eiver (Alexander). 



Habits. — Like the commoner species the Harlequin Quail appears 

 from time to time in enormous numbers in certain localities, the 

 movement being probably connected with copious rainfall ; it has 

 certainly been noticed that there is a correspondence between the 

 rainfall and the appearance of this species in the neighbourhood 

 of Bulawayo, where during the summer of 1901-2 there was an 

 immense irruption of these little birds. An account of the matter 

 has been given by Mr. Tredgold, to whom I am further indebted for 

 most of the following particulars. 



The birds appeared first in December, when they were very thin 

 and appeared to be somewhat bedraggled after their journey ; in 

 January and February they increased enormously and got into very 

 good condition ; the food consisted almost entirely of little black 

 grass seeds, together with an occasional caterpillar or termite ; the 

 note was observed to be a double one as opposed to the triple one of 

 the common Quail. Soon after their arrival they began to breed ; 

 no nest was made, but the eggs, varying in number from seven to 

 twelve, were laid on the bare ground under the shelter, as a rule, of 

 a tuft of grass ; the eggs are very like those of the common Quail, 

 being dirty white or olive with dark brown spots, these varying 

 from pin points to considerable splashes ; the female sits very close 

 all day, leaving her duties only in the evening in order to feed. 

 According to Kuschel, eggs laid in captivity measure 1-1 x 0'95. 



15 VOL. IV 



