COTUENIX. 



289 



Family PERDIOID^. 



Genus COTUENIX, Mcehrwg. 



COTURNIX PECTORALIS, Gould. 



Pectoral Quail. 



Gould, Handhk. Bds. Aust., Vol. ii., sp. 486, p. 190. 'XSL JO. 



This is a very common bird all over the eastern and south- 

 eastern portions of Australia, as well as the whole of Tasmania. 

 It breeds alike in the grassy flats or in the paddocks under 

 cultivation. Eggs ranging fi'om seven to fourteen in number for 

 a sitting ; in form swollen ovals, and varying considerably in their 

 markings even in the same nest. 



Four eggs in the Australian Museum Collection are of a yellowish 

 white ground colour, thickly blotched and minutely spotted all 

 over with very irregular shaped markings of dark umber-brown. 

 Length (A) M2 x 0-87 inch ; (B) 112 x 0-87 inch ; (C) M4 x 

 0-87 inch ; (D) M7 x 0'87 inch. 



A set of seven taken at Macquarie Fields by Dr. Ramsay in 

 September 1859, have a yellowish-white ground colour, with 

 markings varying from minute freckles of umber-brown to large 

 marbled blotches of a darker tint. Length (A) 1-2 x 0'94 inch ; 

 (B) 1-24 X 0-95 inch; (C) 1-21 x 0-94 inch; (D) 1-23 x 0'92 inch ;^, 

 (E) M X 0-87 inch ; (F) 1-27 x 0-95 inch ; (G) 1-17 x 0-87 inch.' 



September and the four following months comprise the breeding^ 

 season of this species. 



Hah. Rockingham Bay, Port Denison, Wide Bay District, 

 Richmond and Clarence Rivers Districts, New South Wales, 

 Interior, Victoria and South Australia, Tasmania. (liamsay.) 



CxENus SYNOICUS, Gould. 



SYNOICUS AUSTRALIS, Latliam. 

 Swamp Quail. 

 Gould, JIandbk. Bds. Aust., Vol. ii., sp. 487, p. 193. 



This bird is distributed over the greater portion of Australia, 

 and the whole of Tasmania. It constructs its nest which is 



