forests and thick jungle, and eschews well-watered and richlywooded
or cultivated tracts ; it loves dry, open, sandy or even
rocky plains or low hillocks, sparsely studded with thin thorny
bushes ; elevation is not of so much consequence to it as the
openness and semi-waste character of the place. You will find
it equally at home on the plains about Ajmere, at an elevation
of 1,700 feet, and near sea level in the Carnatic. Dry, halfbarren,
sparsely-cultivated plains districts are its choice, and
hence it follows that, although where localities such as it affects
inosculate with those that the Jungle Bush-Quail prefers, you
may shoot both species in the same stubble, yet, broadly speaking,
as Captain Butler remarks, where you find the Rock Bush-
Quail, there, as a rule, you do not find the other species.
As regards habits, notes and food, I have never detected
any difference between the two species, except that, perhaps,
the packs or bevies into which both species collect are rather
smaller in the case of the Rock Bush-Quail.
In Southern India the natives do appear to distinguish the
two species. In Upper India I have always heard them both
Indiscriminately called "Lowa"—a name often equally applied
to Tumix taigoor.
Colonel Sykes, who first discriminated (though somewhat
doubtingly) this species, tells us that:—
" These birds do not frequent cultivated lands, but are found all
over the Deccan on the general level of the country, amidst rocks
and low bushes. They rise in coveys of from ten to twenty or
more from under the feet with a startling suddenness and bustle,
and the young sportsman is perplexed in selecting his bird.
They are gregarious, and I infer polygamous, as I never saw
them solitary or in pairs. Flesh perfectly white.
" This is the species used for Quad fights by the natives."
Jcrdon again says :—
" It frequents rocky hills with low scrub jungle, and especially
barren, uncultivated plains, scantily covered with low bushes of
Zizyphus or Carissa, and other thorny shrubs, out of which
the bevy rises, ten or a dozen or twenty together, with a
startling suddenness and bustle, dispersing more or less among
the neighbouring bushes. The flesh of this Bush-Quail, as well
as of the last, is perfectly white, and it makes a good pie.
Plain roasted, they are not so good as the species of Coturnix,
being dry and with little flavour.
" The Rock Bush-Quail is much used for fighting among
the Mussulmans of Southern India, as indeed the Jungle Bush-
Quail is also, though not so common, nor so highly esteemed."
Mr. J. Davidson writes to me :—" The Rock Bush-Quail was
common in the Sholapur district, nearly everywhere. Its
favourite resorts were the stony hillocks with a few scrubby
bushes, which are in most places scattered among the cultivated
land there. It was, however, a very common thing to start a
covey, or, in the rains, a pair from the strips of grass forming
the boundary between two fields. I fully expected to find this
species replaced by the Jungle Bush-Quail in the Panch Mahals,
but all I shot there belonged to this species."
And again, Captain Butler remarks :—
"The Rock Bush-Quail is very common in the plains of
Northern Guzerat and Xelow Mount Abu, but does not ascend
the hills. Unlike the last species, it frequents open, rocky, cultivated
and uncultivated ground, with low bushes for it to take
refuge in when disturbed. It begins to lay about the middle of
August, at which time of year they are always found in pairs
and lie very close. I have never met with it in thick jungles
like the last species."
Although frequenting much more open ground, it is yet
scarcely more often seen, unless specially watched for, than
the Jungle Bush-Quail; and, sparse as is the cover it affects, it is
still quite sufficient to conceal it, as a rule, until, on your almost
treading on it, it rises, the whole party exploding (if I may use
the word) simultaneously.
Like the last species, they sometimes do perch. Writing from
Jhansi, Mr. F . R. Blewitt noted that :—
" Walking early one morning with a pointer in the garden,
the latter suddenly pointed facing an orange tree. Curious to
know the cause, I approached the tree—when, suddenly from a
lower branch, four of the Bush-Quails flew away. Again the
other morning my spaniels were beating some low grass, and
flushed a Bush Quail, which flew and sat on the upper branch
of a large nccnt tree. These are the only two instances in
which I have seen this Quail perch on trees."
Neither species affords much sport in the ordinary way;
but if you have good small dogs that will work in the dwarf
jujube bushes, and are so clad about the nether extremities
that you too can bustle about in these comfortably, then the
Bush-Quail will, in many places, afford you as pretty shooting
as a man can desire.
It is no use, of course, firing whole charges after mites of
birds like these that always drop within thirty yards ; a drachm of
powder and half an ounce of No. 10 or dust shot was what I always
used.* Their flight is extremely rapid, and they afford excellent
* For the benefit of those who use (as most men do now-a-days) breech-loaders,
I may mention that cartridges for this kind of sport, and for coilecting small birds
generally, may be very easily prepared Put in the one drachm of powder and ram
lightly down a thin wad, then fill in the cartridge with clean dry sawdust, tightly
rammed in with a thick paper or thin cardboard wad. On this place the half ounce
of No. 10 or dust shot. Put in the usual cardboard wad and close the cartridge
in the ordinary manner. It will be exactly the same length and look exactly like
an ordinary cartridge, but will always be distinguishable by its lightness. The
force of the explosion is so much reduced, that you may reload after this fashion
a good green case from 8 to 20 times according to climate. I scarcely use any
thing but these cartridges now. Up to 30 or even 40 yards they will kill Snipe and
Quail and all small birds as well as full cartridges. Yon may fire them from morning