practice. I remember once firing nearly fifty shots within an
hour at Rock Bush-Quails. I decline to state how many I
killed on that occasion. I had no dogs ; my beaters said I did
not hit the birds. I said they were fools and could not find the
birds when I shot them ; but on another occasion, with dogs, I
actually bagged 22^ brace between 3 P.M. and dusk.
As Jcrdon says, they make a very good pie, if you proceed
as follows :—
First get one to two pounds of the best beef-steak ; then
take twelve of the Bush-Quail nicely plucked and cleaned ; cram
a dessert spoonful 'Apattde foie gras inside each bird, and wrap
each up in a thin slice of bacon ; add a small tin of trufles,
half a bottle of button mushrooms, six hard-boiled eggs, each
cut in half, condiments, sauces, &c, selon tc go/It, and fill in with
rich stock (a couple of hares boiled down with a shin bone do
famously) ; then, if your cook makes good crust and the pie is
baked slowly and properly, you will find, as Jerdon says, that
Bush-Quail are very good in a pie.
THE ROCK BUSH-QUAIL lays at any time from August to
December, and again in March, and, for all I know, may lay at
other times also; but I have myself taken nests in all the
months mentioned. I think they have two broods in the year,
but cannot be certain ; anyhow, March and September are the
months in which I have found most eggs.
They always prefer semi-waste strips of land, covered with
high grass and in the neighbourhood of cultivation, for nesting.
The nest is slight, composed of grass loosely wound round into
a circular shape, and is placed generally, but not always, in a
depression, scratched for it by the birds, at the foot of some
tuft of grass or under some thick bush.
Six or seven is the usual number of eggs laid. I have never
seen, though I have heard of, more in a nest.
Writing from Jhansi, Mr. F. R. Blewitt says :—"The Bush-
Quail, I do not know which, but I send you both birds and
eggs" (and the birds were the Rock Bush-Quail), "breeds in
August and September. The nest is merely an excavated cavity,
of from five to six inches broad, at the base of a thick patch of
grass and quite under it. A few pieces of grass arc laid at the
bottom of the nest. The female sits very close on the eggs,
and I have stood a yard from the nest without her attempting
to rise ; only when I have brought my hand near to her has she
flown off. Six appears to be the regular number of eggs, though
probably this may sometimes extend to seven or eight."
till night ami never feet it ; whereas, all of us who are not exceptionally robust
know that firing more than from So to too full charges brings on a headache. The
re|>ort is so much reduced in intensity that, unless they are quite close, tiring at one
bird docs not frighten away others.
Mr. Davidson tells me that:—
" In both Sholapur and the Panch Mahals, this Quail bred
in the latter part of the rains among longish grass, the general
number of eggs, and the most I have taken, being six."
Captain Butler notes that he " found two nests, each containing
five fresh eggs, on the 27th August 1875 near Deesa. The
first was in the middle of a tussock of coarse grass about eight
inches from the ground ; it consisted of a concave pad composed
of short blades of dry grass. The second consisted of a hole
scratched at the foot of a small tuft of grass on the bank of a
nalla, and lined with short blades of dry grass.
" The eggs, in both instances, were broad ovals, much pointed
at the small end, and in colour creamy white. The shell, as in
the preceding species, is very strong, and occasionally blotched
with lime. I found another nest under a tussock of grass near
the same spot containing two fresh eggs on the 29th August
1875, somewhat elongated ovals and blunt at both ends, being
the same width throughout. Other nests in the same neighbourhood
as below :—
August 17th, 1S76, a nest containing 1 fresh egg.
„ 19th, j) ditto 4 do.
„ „ ditto 5 do.
Sept. 1st, IJ ditto 5 do.
3rd, 11 ditto 4 do.
„ ,, „ ditto 5 do.
„ 4th, ,1 ditto 5 do.
Novr. 27th, » ditto 4 do.
" All of the last-mentioned nests were in a grass preserve, and
similar in every respect to the second nest described above."
Writing from Amraoti, in Bcrar, Mr. J. Aitkcn remarks :—
" The Rock Bush-Quail is very abundant here ; coveys may
be started wherever there is the slightest cover. They breed
during November and December. I have found the nest
repeatedly ; it is composed of grass and placed under a bush.
Sometimes it contains as many as seven eggs ; they are large
for the size of the bird, and might pass for diminutive eggs of
the Grey Partridge. Even at this breeding season they seem
to feed in company, and newly-hatched birds may frequently
be seen running amongst half-a-dozen old ones. But the female
continues to watch over her brood with the utmost solicitude,
and I have had to swerve my horse to prevent his setting his
foot on one as she crouched anxiously over a chick."
Typically the eggs are moderately broad ovals, a good deal
pointed towards the small end ; but more or less elongated
varieties occur, and here and there pretty perfect ovals, or even
eggs pointed at both ends, are met with. The eggs are white,
glossy, and spotless, tinged, but far less deeply than in the Grey
Partridge, with excessively pale café au lait colour.
In length they vary from o'95 to ri2, and in breadth from
078 to 091 ; but the average of forty-one eggs is 084 by U02.