They are excessively prolific layers, and I suspect not unfrequently,
when anything has happened to their own nests, lay in
any other nest that happens to come handy.
The eggs vary in shape from rather broad ovals, obtuse at
both ends, only slightly compressed towards the smaller end, to
somewhat more lengthened forms, rather conspicuously pointed
towards this end.
The shell is rather fine and smooth, with, in some cases, only
a very faint gloss, but usually a tolerable amount of " shine."
The colouration is so variable that it is difficult to describe.
The ground varies from a faintly yellowish white, to rich cafi
an lait colour, and in one clutch of nine eggs taken on the 25TH
of September, possibly the second laying of an exhausted
bird, has a strong ferruginous tinge throughout, as of dried
blood.
The markings arc of three types,—(u/) fine spccklings and
spottings thickly spread over the whole surface of the egg:
many eggs of this type strongly recall those of our several
species of Turnix; {2nd) bold blotchings and frecklings : some
eggs of this type resemble much those of the Common Quail;
(3*7/) marblings. not unlike what arc sometimes exhibited in the
eggs of Sand Grouse. This third type is perhaps the commonest.
In colour the markings equally vary ; blackish, purplish, olive,
and burnt sienna brown, all occur; but each egg exhibits only
one shade. With one exception, the ground also seems to be
always uniform, but in the spcckly types, where the markings are
purplish brown, and the ground is pale, large patches of this are
suffused with a pinkish purple tinge.
Typically the markings are closely set, but in some few
specimens this is not the case. How much these eggs vary may
be judged from the fact that, to convey anything like an adequate
idea of the scries now before me, it would be necessary to
figure at least nine examples, and yet there is not one amongst
them that (now that I really know the egg) could be confounded
with that of any of our other birds.
In length the eggs vary from r o to l'2L, and in breadth from
O'S to 0 S 9 , but the average of fifty-six eggs that I have carefully
measured is 1*09 by rather more than C S 3 .
BOTH SEXES vary a good deal in size, but in a large series of
measurements I can detect no constant difference in this respect
between them, nor anything to lead me to suppose that, as in
the case of the Common Quail, the females average larger than
the males.
Length, 6-5 to 7-25 ; expanse, 10-83 to I 2 ' I 2 ; wing, 3*43 to
3 7 ; tail from vent, V2 to 1-56; tarsus, 0-9 to ro J bill from
gape, o'5 to o*6 ; weight, 2'2 to 3 0 ozs.
Irides clear to dark brown ; legs and feet pale fleshy, in
some greyish, in some with a yellowish tinge ; bill, in the male,
bluish black to dusky, paler at the base below, in the female
brownish horny above, bluish horny below.
THE PLATE is, I think, extremely good, though the bill of the
female should be lighter coloured.
This species, as the dimensions already recorded will clearly
SHOW, is altogether smaller than the Grey Quail, and the male
of the former, with the huge black patch on the breast (which,
however, varies AVITH age, younger birds not having it nearly so
large as had the fine old bird figured)*, can never be confounded
with that of the Common Quail. But the females are more
alike, and it is well to bear in mind that, whereas in the Common
Quail the second and succeeding quill feathers are conspicuously
barred on their outer webs with light rufous, these feathers
are in the Rain Quail unbarred.
BESIDES THESE two species of Coiurnix which we meet with In
India, Africa (C delegorgnet), Australia (C.pecioralis), and New
Zealand (C. novcczelandice) have each a species peculiar to themselves.
* Tickell says, in a passage which I quote below (and which, it must be understood,
applies to Eastern Chota Nagpore and not to Upper India), that the males
want the black on the bieasl in the cold weather. Can this be correct ? It is not
invariably so, certainly, as I have specimens killed in December and February
showing the black distinctly. But I have an impression that I used to notice that
in the winter the black on the breasts of the males was less in extent and duller in
tint.
" In the cold weather it wants the black colour of the breast, and is then so like
the ordinary Quail that both species are shot and popped into the game bag without
distinction. Then comes the burning month of March, when the Common Quails
have departed, save here and there a weakly lingerer. During that month and
April and part of May, not a Quail is to be seen or heard ; but soon after the
'chota bursal' (the little rains) have poured their delicious freshness on the parched
soil and the tender green of the jungle grass smiles out from the burnt ground, the
pretty tinkling notes of the Rain Quail are heard all around—'whit-whit,' 'whitwhit,'
'whit-whit,' and thioughout the monsoon these birds are found scattered
about the paddy and wheat fields, and entering our gardens and compounds, where of
a morning they may be seen running along the paths."
Mr. Vidal, writing on this subject, says :—" Next about Rain Quail ; Davidson says
—' I think in the rains the cock has a blacker breast than in the cold weather, and is
also redder on the sides of the neck ; he however never loses the black. Some of the
young of course have very little.'
"My experience, such as it is, agrees with Davidson's. The black, I have
always thought, seemed deeper in the rains and in larger blotches, though never altogether
wanting, in the cold weather."