v)>p’"0 m m M m m m jm m m m m fflm B m
SYNOlC]J$/DIEME]WNSfrS,; Gould,
3gW^'ii;U)icnii:n|s Land Partridge.
Syfioicus Diemenensis, 1847.
greater Brown Quail o u tliexG o lo ^ ts^ v ,
' D uring my ^Diemen's Land I was frequently informed that there were two kinds of Quail
qpajnted Quails, the foraierJof which is d^r^lG otiirjiiai and the latter a Hemipodius,
while the two l)ird^,ref^r|e,d to belong to those genera, of Synoi cus. They are
g iJ iilig tt^ J lp a s j^ ^ 'g ie a .te r' and lesser Br^%pyQuml^and sometimes tHel^mfe of Partridge was given:
fj p jh e bird here figured, -douhtless'from its'gomg^in^^yeyg and resembling ^ ^ «% ^m o n Partridge of
Europe in many failed in m^tnclfeavo^^po obtain examples, but I was p$ u n ate , enough
to procure .its nest and e g g s f ^ |||h differed sd ’.m ^ ® |^ % t li 6Ferof the common species as foBcon^
wince pie that theychad beep l aM & a . ^different to Paris, I found at the house
. of 3V0^^r.e^ui^^^^!^pecjimens .of ^ e bird itself, which. iM ib e h ^ e ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ E by his brother direct from
Van Diemen’s Land, and which being placed at my disposal enable mer|%g^e figures of both Species. It j|~
fully a th ijC l^ ^ ^ |i|£ § iz e than th e S . Australis, and has the markings of the upper surface more numerous
and varied; the situations it affehts ;appe$r t^ ^ ^w -m a r’shy grounds covered with dense masses of herbage.
The eggs I procured were fo uw j^ ^ ^ p ^ § ^ i^ ^ e d ia !te ly :,b e low NevvvNorfolk f :t%yTare green than
those of S . A ustralis, are sprinlcled all d^ ^ with>mlnute spots of brown, and are from twelve; to eighteen
in number, «one inch arm^g d v ^ ^ ^ ^ ^M h s^ ^ ^ ^ ^^ ^& ^ ffch and an eighth broad. I feel more than ever
convinced, that the birds of the form to which'the generic .term Synoi cus has been applied, constitute many
more species than has hitherto been supposed.
Forehead, lores and chin greyish white tinged ^ l ^ p u l ^ . crown of the head dark brown, with a line of
buff dp,vpi. the centre; all the upper ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^m ^ > h ia r k e d with beautiful transverse bars of grey#
black and chestnut, eaph feather with a fine stripe of :^r|^i%h'.,^hite IjOwn the centre; ^primaiies brown,
mottled on their external edges with 'greyish brown ; all the under surface greyish buff, each feather with,
numerous regular somewhat arrow-shaped marks of black, and many of them with a very fine line of white
•down the cen tral bill blue, deepening into black at the tip ; rirides orange; feet^mnlyellow.
The Plate Represents the two sexes rather less than the size of'life.: ’- .