THE ROCK BUSH-QUAIL, 121 



Mr. Davidson tells me that : — 



" In both Sholapur and the Panch Mahals, this Quail bred 

 in the latter part of the rains among longish grass, the general 

 number of eggs, and the most I have taken, being six." 



Captain Butler notes that he " found two nests, each contain- 

 ing five fresh eggs, on the 27th August 1875 near Deesa. The 

 first was in the middle of a tussock of coarse grass about eight 

 inches from the ground ; it consisted of a concave pad composed 

 of short blades of dry grass. The second consisted of a hole 

 scratched at the foot of a small tuft of grass on the bank of a 

 nalla, and lined with short blades of dry grass. 



" The eggs, in both instances, were broad ovals, much pointed 

 at the small end, and in colour creamy white. The shell, as in 

 the preceding species, is very strong, and occasionally blotched 

 with lime. I found another nest under a tussock of grass near 

 the same spot containing two fresh eggs on the 29th August 

 1875, somewhat elongated ovals and blunt at both ends, being 

 the same width throughout. Other nests in the same neighbour- 



hood as below : — 







August 17th, 1876, 



a nest containing 1 fresh 



» 19th, „ 



ditto 



4 do. 



» » jj 



ditto 



5 do. 



Sept. 1st, „ 



ditto 



5 do. 



» 3rd, „ 



ditto 



4 do. 



jj v n 



ditto 



5 do. 



» 4th, „ 



ditto 



5 do. 



Novr. 27th, „ 



ditto 



4 do. 



t( All of the last-mentioned nests were in a grass preserve, and 

 similar in every respect to the second nest described above." 



Writing from Amraoti, in Berar, Mr. J. Aitken remarks : — 

 " The Rock Bush-Quail is very abundant here ; coveys may 

 be started wherever there is the slightest cover. They breed 

 during November and December. I have found the nest 

 repeatedly ; it is composed of grass and placed under a bush. 

 Sometimes it contains as many as seven eggs ; they are large 

 for the size of the bird, and might pass for diminutive eggs of 

 the Grey Partridge. Even at this breeding season they seem 

 to feed in company, and newly-hatched birds may frequently 

 be seen running amongst half-a-dozen old ones. But the female 

 continues to watch over her brood with the utmost solicitude, 

 and I have had to swerve my horse to prevent his setting his 

 foot on one as she crouched anxiously over a chick." 



Typically the eggs are moderately broad ovals, a good deal 

 pointed towards the small end ; but more or less elongated 

 varieties occur, and here and there pretty perfect ovals, or even 

 eggs pointed at both ends, are met with. The eggs are white, 

 glossy, and spotless, tinged, but far less deeply than in the Grey 

 Partridge, with excessively pale cafe au lait colour. 



In length they vary from o § 95 to ri2, and in breadth from 

 078 to 0*91 ; but the average of forty-one eggs is 084 by i'02, 



16 



