Eggs.—“The eggs of the Philippine bustard quail are grayish white, densely covered with specks and dots of yellowish brown and small blotches of pale purple. The three examples in the collection [collected by the Steere Expedition in Negros, November 10], are very broad ovals and measure respectively: 28.4 by 21.3; 27 by 21.3; 26 by 21.3.” (Oates.)

A nest believed to belong to this species was found in Mindoro, March 23, 1905. It was made of dry grass and placed on the ground in an old clearing, where it was well hidden by the surrounding grass. The three eggs were slightly incubated; two of them measure 25 by 20 and the third measures 24.6 by 19.8. The ground-color is white, closely speckled with dull greenish brown and occasional small spots of various shades of lilac, the larger end rather thickly marked with blotches of blackish brown. One specimen from Manila, July 30, 1908, measures 23.5 by 18.5.

“Common about old paddy-fields and on grassy plains. It flies but a short distance and then buries itself in the grass, where it runs rapidly and hides so well that one is seldom able to flush a bird the second time.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

6. TURNIX OCELLATA (Scopoli).
SPOTTED BUTTON QUAIL.

Pu-gong gu′-bat, Manila.

Luzon (Everett, Heriot, Whitehead, McGregor, Worcester, Mearns).

Adult male.—Above mottled and spotted; head and sides of face black with roundish white spots and some rusty edging to feathers; rest of upper parts with large black centers to feathers whose edges are light buff and tips rusty; a slight trace of a chestnut nuchal collar; chin and middle of throat white; breast uniform rufous-chestnut; middle of belly dirty white; flanks, thighs, and under tail-coverts dirty buff; primaries brown with pale edges; secondaries mottled and with wider, buff edges; coverts and tertials buff, each with a larger, roundish, black spot. “Iris white, upper mandible grayish brown at tip, pale yellow from nostrils back; lower mandible pale yellow, except tip light brown, legs and feet light straw-yellow, except joints and soles light brown; nails gray. Length, 165.” (Worcester.) A specimen from Benguet measures: Wing, 93; tail, 33; culmen, 15; tarsus, 25; middle toe with claw, 24.

Adult female.—Similar to male but larger; throat and chin black; chestnut of breast continued above as a wide nuchal collar. Iris white; bill pale yellow, grayish at tip; legs dull yellow; nails whitish. Length, 180; wing, 115; tail, 37; culmen, 17; tarsus, 29; middle toe with claw, 27.5. These measurements are from a specimen taken near Manila.