GAME BIRDS OF INDIA AND ASIA. 135 



specimens between the two species occur, so that 

 it must be expected that some will turn up which 

 cannot be fairly referred to either. 



In its ordinary home this bird has the same habits 

 as the common quail, and its eggs are similar ; 

 but the note of the male is different — a great argu- 

 ment for its specific distinctness. According to 

 General Prjevalsky, this note, which alone makes 

 this bird easily distinguishable, consists of some 

 deep hollow sounds, several times repeated in quick 

 succession." 



The Rain-Quail or Black-breasted Quail. 



Coturnix coromandelica, Faun. Brit. Ind., 

 Birds, Vol. IV, p. ii6. 



Native names : — Chota Batter, Hind. ; Cha- 

 nac, Nepaul ; Kade, Tamil ; Chinna Yel- 

 lichi, Telugu. For the most part, how- 

 ever, this species goes under the same 

 names as the common quail. 



This bird is very like the common quail, although 

 a little smaller ; but both sexes may be at once 

 distinguished by the pinion quills being plain drab, 

 without the pale cross-bars seen in the common 

 .species. Independently of this, the male can be 

 distinguished by his brighter and purer colouring 

 below. His throat-marking is pure white and jet- 

 black, and bis breast a decided warm bufi, with 

 splashes of black which increase with age till there 

 is a decided black patch in the middle. His bill is 

 also often of a decided black. 



This quail is resident or only partially migratory, 

 and is not known outside our Empire. Within 



