BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 109 



ORDER— HEMIPODII : HEMIPODES. 



FAMILY— TURNICID/E (1 species). 



PAINTED QUAIL 



(Turnix varia, Latli.) 



Male. — Crown of the head, nape, and forehead dark brown, 

 spotted with bufEy- white; back, rump, and upper tail coverts 

 transversely marked with chestnut-red and black; wings red- 

 dish, each feather spotted with white and marked with black; 

 primaries brown; chest buff, the feathers irregularly spotted 

 with grey; abdomen yellowish-white. Dimensions in mm.: — 

 Length, 192; bill, 14; wing, 101.5; tail, 40; tarsus, 22. 



Female. — Principally differs from male in that it has a bright 

 rufous nuchal collar, m,ore or less clearly defined, the chest is grey, 

 the shaft of each feather outlined with pale buff, widening into 

 a broad mark near the tip, and the bill is stouter. 



Nest. — " Simply a hole in the ground " (J. D. MacLaine). 

 Sometimes the slight depression has a scanty lining of grass or 

 leaves. The nest is generally under the shelter of a tussock or 

 stone. 



Eggs. — Clutch four; roundish in shape, with one end some- 

 what compressed; texture fine; surface glossy; colour whitish, 

 heavily freckled with fine spots of cinnamon-brown 'and umber ; 

 interspersed with which are markings of dark purple and bluish- 

 grey. Dimensions in mm. of a clutch: — (1) 26 x 22, (2) 27 x 

 21.5, (3) 27.5 X 22, (4) 26 x 21. 



Breeding Season. — October to December. 



General Distribution. — Tasmania, King Island, and Australia 

 in general. 



Observations. — Shooting begins 1st May, ends 30th June. The 

 Painted Quail is somewhat of a scarce species in Tasmania, 

 very few brace in a season falling to the gun of any sportsman, 

 no matter how keen. As a matter of fact, its existence as a 

 game bird is to all intents overlooked 



Dry, sandy tracts are mostly resorted to by this species. 

 On several E-pacris and Banksia covered areas on the North-East 

 Coast it is no uncommon occurrence to flush a small covey of 

 Painted Quail. When pursued it runs along the ground as far as 

 possible; then, when absolutely forced to fly, it takes wing with a 

 wavering flight that makes shooting difficult. 



Gould says of this species: — "Among the Game Birds of 

 Australia the Varied Turnix plays a rather prominent part, for, 

 though its flesh is not so good for the table as that of the little 

 Partridge Quail, it is a bird which is not to be despised when 

 the game bag is emptied at the end of a day's sport, for it 

 forms an acceptable variety to its contents. Although it does not 



