I7& THE INDIAN BUSTARD-QUAIL. 



of intense reddish or blackish brown or even bluish black. The 

 minute dottings in many eggs, everywhere dense, are most so at 

 the large end, where, with the blotches, they occasionally form an 

 irregular, imperfect and ill-marked mottled or smudgy cap or 

 zone. The general appearance of the egg, when not closely 

 looked into, is paler or darker dingy earthy brown, with dull 

 blackish spots and small blotches. Some of the eggs have 

 scarcely any gloss ; others are fairly glossy. 



The eggs vary in length from 08 to ro2, and in breadth from 

 072 to 0*85 ; but the average of thirty is 0*93 by 079. 



The FEMALES are. considerably larger than the males as a body, 

 though some old males are as large as a good many of the 

 females. 



The following is the outcome of a large number of measure- 

 ments : — 



Males. — Length, 5-44 to 6*37 ; expanse, 1075 to 117; wing, 

 2*85 to 3"i ; tail from vent, 0*9 to 1*2 ; tarsus, 0*85 to 0*95 ; bill 

 from gape, 0'6 to 072 ; weight, 1*5 oz. to rg oz. 



Females. — Length, &o to &6; expanse, iro to 12*5 ; wing, 

 3*0 to 3*45 ; tail from vent, 0*9 to 1*38 ; tarsus, 0'9 to r02 j bill 

 from gape, o*68 to 078 ; weight, 17 oz. to 2*25 ozs. 



Legs and feet light slatey to plumbeous ; the bill dark slatey 

 bluish or plumbeous, usually brownish on culmen ; the irides 

 pale yellow to straw white. 



The PLATE conveys a tolerably good idea of this species. It 

 is, however, rather coarse and hard, and the birds are made to 

 look like Bustards by being represented as standing bolt upright 

 in a way that these Quails never do stand. Under no circum- 

 stances would you ever, I think, see their thighs. Their position, 

 even when perfectly at ease, is more crouching. 



The plumage in this species varies very greatly in different 

 specimens; to a certain extent perhaps locally, but chiefly 

 according to age. Of this the Plate conveys some idea. 



Tickell states that the female of this species loses the black 

 of the throat after the breeding season. I do not believe that 

 this is the case, as we have females with the entire throats black 

 killed in every month of the year except September and January. 

 At the same time, it is to be noted that young females apparently 

 do not assume the black throat till the second year, and then 

 show less black than old birds. 



