THE BLUE-BREASTED QUAIL 
Status h} Singapore : — Qnails are common in suitable dis- 
tricts in Sing^aporc but their nnmbtrs are not sufficient to 
provide re^^ular sport to g"unncrs. They are not often seen 
in the immediate vicinity of the town and prefer the patches 
of lalang (long^ g^rass) of the rural districts, but occasionally 
they can be flushed in the Economic Gardens in Cluny Road. 
In the more remote parts of the island I have put them up 
within a few yards of occupied bung^alows ; and on those tiny 
islands to be seen just off shore from "the Gap" they can be 
found in the grass patches quite near the houses of the Malay 
fishermen. Mr. H. K, Ridley thought that this quail bred 
in the Botanic Gardens and well indeed it may do so but 
nevertheless, the only quail-like nestlings or eggs seen from 
that area by us belong to another species, the **bustard-quail'' 
next to be described. 
Sometimes when one is motoring along the quieter roads 
of the island a pair of quails will scuttle up from the grass by 
the side of the road and on rare occasions we have seen odd 
birds feeding by the side of secluded foot-paths. At these 
times they will usually run back into the undergrowth rather 
than take wing. 
Field Notes : — -If the reader wants to see quails he must 
look for them in their haunts for otherwise they will not cross 
his path. Some birds invite observation. It is for instance 
difficult to overlook the \'Ociferous blue and white kingtishers 
sitting on the tops of the trees in the Cathedral gardens, or 
the chestnut and white kites m the harbour, but with the quails 
things are different. The best plan is to get out of the town 
and then leaving your car on the road go across open country 
choosing particularly to walk through any patches of long 
grass. Then perhaps you may be rewarded. And once you 
meet your quails there is no mistaking them. The tiny birds, 
looking almost as round as tennis-balls, owing to their very 
short tails, will jump up at your feet. 
They will wait until you have almost trodden^ on them and 
then up and away with a whir of wings. They will fly straight 
away from you but at no great height, usually just topping 
the grass, and above all will not fly far, but when they have 
gone about fifty yards drop like a stone into the grass again. 
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