THE INDO-MALAYAN BUSTARD-QUAIL, 1 79 



in summer and temporarily quitting flooded districts ; but for the 

 most part it lives all the year round and breeds in the same 

 immediate neighbourhood. 



It lays at different periods in different localities, and possibly 

 has two broods in the year. 



In Sikhim its nests are chiefly met with in May and June, 

 in the Dun during July and August, about Calcutta from early 

 in July to quite the end of September, in Tipperah, Cachar and 

 Burma about the same period. In the south of the Malay 

 Peninsula Davison took eggs in March. 



The nests are, as a rule, precisely similar to those of the Indian 

 species. I myself have never seen a domed or hooded nest of 

 either species, though both undoubtedly construct such at 

 times. Four is the normal number of eggs laid, though five, and 

 even six occur, somewhat less rarely in this species than in the 

 last. 



Captain Hutton remarks : — " On the 30th July the eggs were 

 taken in the Dun near the foot of the mountains. Colour 

 stone grey, irrorated with small specks of brown interspersed 

 with larger spots of neutral tint, which form an irregular ring 

 at the larger end. They measured rather less than an inch by 

 075. The number of eggs was four only, but the proper num- 

 ber, according to Jerdon, far exceeds this. There was no nest, 

 but merely the usual scratched spot on the ground, with a little 

 dry grass and leaves, beneath a few stunted bushes. The 

 bird ascends in the summer to about 5,500 feet, and breeds there 

 also. It has a pleasing ringing note, and is brought in large 

 numbers for sale. It is very pugnacious, but is easily tamed." 



From Sikhim, Mr. Gammie writes : — " I have found this bird 

 breeding in May and June in the Darjeeling District from 2,000 

 to 4,000 feet. It builds in the ground in open, cleared country, 

 by the sides of small shrubs or tufts of low grass. It sits very 

 close, and can easily be caught on the nest. The nest is usually, 

 though not always, hooded, loosely made of dry, half-rotten 

 grass, and measures externally about 4 inches in height to the 

 top of the hood by the same in width. The cavity is about 2^ 

 inches in diameter and an inch in depth from lip of cup. The 

 eggs are four in number, and the young leave the nest directly 

 they are hatched. The bird is common in the tea and cinchona 

 plantations, and, — in wet weather especially, — greatly frequents 

 the roads, only rising when almost stepped on. It is a source 

 of great annoyance to timid ponies, rising as it does with a whir 

 from under their noses. It is a very solitary bird, rarely more 

 than one being seen at a time. I am not certain that it is migra- 

 tory, but cannot recollect ever observing it during the cold season." 



The eggs of this species very closely resemble those of the 

 Indian bird ; and though they seem to average somewhat longer 

 and narrower and to be as a body browner and darker, with more 

 numerous and larger black blotches, some of those that I have 



