806 Asiatic Society. [No. 128. 



out the black down the breast, or the transverse curved marks on the throat : sides 

 of the body dirty-white, with fewer black spots." 



" With the above, another of the first. The plumage much the same, but darker 

 in colour, and the under parts flesh-colour instead of pale rufous, or clay-colour. 

 This is called Gassur, and is probably a young bird ; the specimen differs how- 

 ever, in having on one leg a rudiment of a hind-claw." 



"A. Length five inches. Bill pale blue; above, the body is pale mottled ash- 

 colour, with a series of yellowish streaks ; also some large spots of blackish before, 

 and marbled behind ; the wings pale brownish rose-colour, chequered with white, 

 and in the interstices a spot of black ; greater quills dusky ; along the middle of 

 the crown a slender yellow streak ; the rest of the crown marbled ; sides of the head 

 paler ; round the eye nearly white ; beneath the bird is wholly buff-colour ; sides 

 of the breast spotted with black ; tail blotched with brown ; legs flesh- colour, no 

 hind-toe." 



"Inhabits India. Gen. Hardwicke. Taken in Cawnpore in May." 



9. T. Lusoniensis ; Tetrao Luzs. Gmelin : 27. thoracieus, Tern.; Turnix ma- 

 culatus, Vieillot. Common in the Eastern Archipelago. " About seven inches in length : 

 the top of the head, cheeks, and nape, covered with black and white spots, more 

 numerous on the former ; the feathers of the throat are white, tipped with black ; 

 the under-part of the neck and breast are fine bright red ; the belly, sides, and thighs, 

 bright yellowish ; back, rump, and feathers covering the tail, grey-brown, marked 

 with delicate zig-zag black lines ; the greater and lesser wing-coverts whitish-yellow, 

 varied with black spots, having a bright red transverse line above each of the latter ; 

 the greater feathers of the wing are grey-brown, and spotless." Stephens. 



Sir Stamford Raffles remarks, that "The colours vary much in different speci- 

 mens. The head, back, and wings are varied with black, brown, and fawn-colour, 

 of which sometimes the one, sometimes the other, predominates. In full-grown 

 birds the head is generally black, spotted with white, particularly at the sides, while 

 the back is more of a red-brown, and the wings are black, banded with white. The 

 breast also varies, being sometimes ferruginous, but at a later period becoming 

 marked with transverse bars of black and white. The abdomen is always of a fer- 

 ruginous colour. The throat is black in the males, generally whitish in the females. 

 Bill rather long, yellowish, which is also the colour of the legs. Irides white. 



" These Quails are frequently kept tame, and the females are trained to fight with 

 each other by the natives. The superior courage of the females has given rise to 

 a common Malay proverb, in which a hen-pecked husband is compared to a Puyu. 

 This species is always seen in pairs, never in flocks like the Pikau (Coturnix 

 Phillipensis). 



" I am at loss to discover," continues Sir Stamford Raffles, " what species of Quail 

 is intended by the Tetrao suscitator, or Indian Quail of Bontius. The Pikau and 

 Puyu are the two generally known throughout the Eastern Islands. The latter is the 

 most frequently domesticated, and becomes as tame as the common fowl. It is the 

 only one trained for fighting, and they will often combat with such fury as to kill 

 each other. It is not however noisy, and in the wild state is only seen in pairs. 

 The Pikau, on the contrary, has a loud clear note, is seen in flocks, will not become 

 so tame as the other, and is not valued for fighting. It would seem as if the man- 



