HEMIPODIUS CASTANOTUS, Gould. 
Chestnut-backed Hemipode. 
Hemipodius castanotus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part VII. p. 145. 
Win-do-loom, Aborigines of Port Essington. 
Thick-hilled Quail, Colonists. 
The Chestnut-backed Hemipode inhabits the northern and north-western portions of Australia ; spe- 
cimens from the latter have been forwarded to me by Mr. Bynoe and by Mr. Bring of H.M.S. Beagle ; 
Mr. Gilbert also ^ound it at Port Essington, and bis notes respecting it I here transcribe : — 
“ This is a tolerably abundant species, and inhabits the sides of stony hills in coveys of from fifteen to 
thirty in number ; which, when disturbed, seldom rise together, but run along the ground, and it is only upon 
being very closely pursued that they will take wing, and then they merely fly to a short distance : while 
running on the ground their heads are thrown up as high as their necks will permit, and their bodies being 
carried very erect, a waddling motion is given to their gait, which is very ludicrous. The stomachs of 
those dissected were very muscular, and contained seeds and a large proportion of pebbles.” 
Head, neck and chest olive-grey, the feathers of the head and neck spotted with fawn-white at the tip, and 
those of the chest having a spatulate mark of the same colour down the centre ; centre of the abdomen and 
the under tail-coverts pale buff ; a narrow stripe over each eye, back, shoulders and tail rich chestnut ; the 
feathers on the back and shoulders spotted with white, the white spots bounded anteriorly with black ; 
primaries brown, edged with buff ; irides gamboge-yellow ; bill light ash-grey ; naked skin round the eye 
smoke-grey ; tarsi and feet king’s-yellow. 
The Plate represents the two sexes of the natural size. 
