Wayne Bohl, with the help of local villagers, located four gray 
francolin nests near Agra, India. All were ground nests except one, 
The first was in an orchard with low pasture growth beneath; the 
second on a ditch bank under acacia brush; the third in an old excava- 
tion filled with trees and brush surrounded by the baked earth of a 
cultivated field. The fourth, and most unusual nest, was about five 
feet from the ground on top of a stacked pile of sorghum. An inhabited 
house was about 20 yards from the nest. It was eventually deserted, 
quite possibly because of too much human visitation to inspect the 
progress of incubation. 
One nest, which I observed near Karachi, was at the edge of a clump 
of grass near a cultivated field of bajra (millet). Though ground 
nesting is the rule, Finn (21) also recorded a nest in a tree about 
three feet above the sod. 
It is not unusual to find nests in close association with human 
habitation, particularly in gardens, even in large cities, Edwards (18) 
writes of one behind a small hedge in the middle of old-hedge cuttings, 
15 yards from a picketing area for horses in the Delhi cantonment. 
Renesting is normal with at least two and possibly even three 
broods reared in a single year. 
Eggs 
Generally 6 to 9 eggs are laid though in captivity the number is 
much larger, At the Texas State Quail Farm 60 breeders averaged 37 eggs 
each in 1963 (11). The eggs vary in shape from slightly elongated ovals, 
a good deal pointed at one end, to broad pegtops (6). Shells are fine 
and glossy-white, more or less tinged with cafe-au-lait color varying 
much in depth and intensity. Small, raised chalky patches, looking like 
drops of whitewash are not infrequent on the shells. Baker (16) found 
eggs to average 32.4 x 25.6 mm, which is not much smaller than the eggs 
of the black francolin, The incubation period for gray francolins is 
18 to 19 days. A photograph of francolin eggs is reproduced on page 31. 
Brooding and Rearing 
Little has been written on the behavior of mother and young once 
they leave the nest. They are not as shy and much easier to observe 
than are black francolins. It was not unusual for us to find both par- 
ents with a brood. On such occasions, some very young birds were apt at 
hiding under, or in, anything providing shelter. Others merely squatted, 
depending on their light sandy color for concealment, Older youngsters 
preferred escape by running or in flight. Mother and brood were seldom 
particularly nervous unless pursued, and sometimes could be quite 
closely approached. 
Throughout the rearing period and into the fall, parents and brood 
usually stay rather closely together though it was unusual for our trap- 
pers to net birds less than half-grown, perhaps because of their small 
size. In fact many fewer young grays than black francolins were commonly 
caught. 
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Cortera eth 
