THE INDIAN BUTTON-QUAIL. T89 



Nor, except to ornithologists, is it worth while attempting to do 

 this. Tickell, no doubt, talking of this and the next species, tells 

 us that "the two species are so nearly alike as to be easily con- 

 founded together, especially in the cold season, when they are 

 often put up out of stubble amongst real Quail, and occasionally 

 fall to the gun, though usually they are allowed, when flushed, 

 to pursue the even tenor of their way, accompanied by a parting 

 salutation of ' Oh, it's only a button ! ' Why the poor thing 

 should always be treated with such contempt is not easily 

 understood, for it is most delicious eating, and when in good 

 plight, as fat and delicate as an Ortolan ; but I dare say the 

 chick-a-biddy is glad enough to have an imprecation sent after 

 it instead of a charge of shot." 



For my part (perhaps I never did get one " in good plight" ), 

 I have always found them, insignificant, dry, insipid little things, 

 not as good even as the Larks, Pippits and Wheatears that every- 

 where swarm in Upper India ; and while I deeply regret the bad 

 language which Col. Tickell's friends thought it necessary to 

 use in regard to these, I quite endorse their refusal to waste 

 whole charges upon Button-Quail. 



Like all the Quails, they may be occasionally seen at early 

 morn and eve feeding along the paths running through, or in 

 tiny open spaces in the midst of, the grass they live in. I have 

 never seen them in fields or stubbles, nor had any of the few 

 I have examined eaten any grain, only grass seeds and small 

 black fragments, which might have been portions of small hard 

 seeds or of tiny coleoptera. 



I have observed nothing further about this species myself, 

 the fact being that to learn much about it one must watch it 

 carefully and patiently, which I have never done. 



Captain Butler writes : — 



" The Indian Button-Quail occurs all over the plains of 

 Northern Guzerat wherever there is long grass and scrub jungle 

 intermixed. It is particularly plentiful in the neighbourhood 

 of Deesa, where I had every opportunity of watching it closely 

 and observing its habits. It is almost always found singly, 

 except in the breeding season, when it may often be seen in 

 pairs." 



I KNOW positively nothing myself of the nidification of this spe- 

 cies, but I gather from what Captain Butler says that, amongst 

 the Button-Quails, the natural order of things is followed and 

 the female sits. He says : — 



"I found a nest near Deesa on the 15th July 1875 

 containing four slightly incubated eggs. It was composed of 

 soft blades of dry grass, reminding one of the nest of a field 

 mouse and many half-covered nests which I have seen of 

 Mirafra cantillans — the entrance hole being on one side and 

 extending nearly to the top of the nest. It was placed at the 



