THE BtUE-BREASTED QUAIL 
Most authorities seen agreed that the food consists of seeds 
and grain and Mr. Stuart Baker adds ''they also eat insects of 
all the smaller kinds, and feed their young at first entirely on 
these*'. Davison, who dissected a number shot in the Malay 
Peninsula found only g^rass seeds tn their stomachs. The bird 
is unlikely ever to be of any economic importance although it 
should be mentioned that it is very good eating, especially on 
toast I 
It is a sedentary species, not migrating, and without doubt 
it breeds in Singapore although we know of no record of the 
nest and eggs being found locally, not a surprising fact when 
one realizes how little birds h^vG, been studied here. 
Nests have been recorded from the Malay Peninsula by 
Mr. E. C. S. Baker in January, February and March and 
Mr. H. C, Robinson gives July and August. The breeding 
season is therefore a very long one. The latter authority 
states that "the nest consists merely of a few wisps of withered 
grass placed in a hollow among low bushes and high lalang 
grass. The eggs are six or seven in number, dull greenish 
olive, faintly speckled with black**. 
[35] 
