88 BIRDS IN SINGAPORE. 
the latex of the Getah Terap tree, and to the other end a decoy 
bird is attached by a string, the stick is fixed horizontally in a tree, 
and the fowler, concealing himself, waits till a wild bird attracted 
by the cooings of the tame one settles on the birdlime and is 
caught. 
Two kinds of quails inhabit the gardens, viz., the little Blue 
breasted Quail (Eacalfactoria chinensis) and the larger Bustard 
Quail (Turnix plumbipes). Both, I have reason to believe, breed in 
the gardens, but the only eggs I have found belong to the latter. 
It makes no nest, but deposits its four conical eggs on the 
ground, point to point like a plover, amoung long grass or sugar 
cane. The eggs are olive brown with darker spots. Quails are 
called ‘“‘Puyuh” by the Malays, who catch them inan ingenious trap. 
This consists of a small rattan cage widest in front with vertical 
bars. It is just big enough to contain a cock quail, which is 
put inside. In front of the fore part of the cage is a square of 
fine net in a bamboo frame, which is attached to the upper part 
of the cage on a transverse bar; on the upper bar of the net at 
each end is a loose iron ring. When the trap is set, the net is 
raised and kept in position by the aid of a thin piece of string 
and a peg, and the rings are pushed on to the ends of the upper 
bar. When a quail, induced by the challenge of the caged bird, 
runs up to the bars of the cage to fight with it, it touches the 
string which releases the peg and the net falls over the front of 
the cage, enclosing it. As it does so the rings drop off the upper 
bar, and sliding down a vertical bar fall in such a position that 
they hold not only the lower horizontal bar of the net but a por- 
tion of the projecting bar at the bottom of the cage, thus holding 
the quail tight between the net and the cage. It is then taken 
out and put ina bag. The quail catcher also carries a kind of 
large spatula of wood with which he beats the ones to drive 
the quails towards his trap. 
Among wading birds the Golden Ses (Charadrius 
fulvus) and the Snipe (Gallinago sthenura) are often to be 
seen in swampy parts of the garden in the season, and the Snippet 
(Tringotdes hypoleucus) is always to be seen around the lakes at 
the same time, but none of these birds nest here. The Water cock 
(Gallicrex cristatus) haunts the wet grassy spots in the Economic 
Garden, and may often be heard uttering its curious crowing 
cry in the evening. The white breasted Water-hen (Erythra 
