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J R Army Med Corps: first published as 10.1136/jramc-02-06-07 on 1 June 1904. Downloaded from 717 RAIN-QUAIL (COTURNIX COROMANDELICA) SHOOrl'ING. By MAJOR J. FAYRER. Royal Army Medical Corps. FOR the all-round sportsman India is still an ideal country, and every month of the year offers some attraction to the Nimrod; Whether in cantonments, on the line of march, or in the hills, we have all experienced the absolute joie de vivre consequent ona good day with the gun or rifle. In cantonments the early drive to the" Jheel,"* the first glimpse of which often promises a good day with the duck, the environments of which speak eloquently of the unsuspecting, but wily snipe. The rest and lunch, under a shady tree, contemplating the morning's bag, then more shooting, and a pleasant drive home, feeling healthily tired, satisfied and hungry. In the hills, the early rising in the dark, followed by a brisk Protected by copyright. walk to the hill-tops, and when there the glorious sight as the shadows gradually, but quickly, give way to the advancing lights, till presently the whole scene is flooded in sunshine.. The bitter cold experienced during the rising of the sun is almost forgotten when one hears in close proximity evidences of the presence of the kalij or koklas,t the chakor,t or black partridge.§ Or, if a morning with the rifle has been selected, the peep from behind a friendly crag of the pretty little barking deer, or the wily gooral partaking of an early breakfast. Then as the cold weather passes and the hot season commences, pig-sticking and big-game shooting may be http://militaryhealth.bmj.com/ indulged in. As a result of the heat, the whole surface of the continent becomes hotter than the sea, and the rarefied air rises and is re­ placed by the cooler currents drawn in, laden with moisture, from the sea. The result is the monsoon. Then-rain! rain! ! rain! ! ! The rainfall varying in amount in different localities, according to the direction of the monsoon and local meteorological conditions. During this season the prospects of sport are not so good. Pig­ sticking can occasionally be enjoyed, and fishing in the lakes can be on September 30, 2021 by guest. indulged in. Generally speaking, however, the gun is laid aside and the enervated sportsman is inclined to go the way of all flesh, and become lazy and bored; and small blame to him, perhaps, consider- * Swamp. t Two varieties of pheasant. ::: Hill partridge. § Found in the plains and hills up to about 4,000 feet. J R Army Med Corps: first published as 10.1136/jramc-02-06-07 on 1 June 1904. Downloaded from 718 Rctin-Qtw,il Shooting ing the conditions of climate in which he has to drag out his existence; a climate so well defined in Milton's description of a trying climate:- " For hot, cold, moist and dry, four champions fierce Strive here for mastery, and to battle bring Their embryon atoms; " -" Paradise Lost." The above rapid and cursory review brings us, then, to the "rains," and my object in writing this article is to introduce a very sporting little bird which visits most of the "Plain" stations of India, certainly of Bengal during this season-I mean the rain-quail -and to show that my statement, that every month of the year offers some attraction in the way of sport, is a truism. When I speak of introducing the rain-quail, I do not wish to imply that I am an ornithologist, proud of the discovery of a new species; I fancy we all know the rain-quail, but I do claim origi­ nality, in that I discovered, quite by chance, a new method of shooting our little friend. Of the many species of quail to be met with in India, this little Protected by copyright. bird (Goturnix coromandelica) is, I think, the handsomest. Its colouring, generally speaking, is like the common quail (Goturnix c01nmunis) , but its neat and natty appearance is enhanced by the addition of brilliant black feathers on face, throat and chest. 'l'he amount of black feathers on the chest increases with age till, in old birds, nearly the whole breast is black. The rain-quail is a resident or partially migratory bird, found throughout the greater part of India and in the Irrawaddy Valley in Burma. It has not been met with in Ceylon or the extreme South of India. It is not known to occur outside the Empire (Blanford). http://militaryhealth.bmj.com/ Although resident in many parts of India, it shifts its ground with the season, and it only visits Northern Bengal, the North-West Provinces, &c., &c., during the monsoon, hence its patronymic. The places where I have met with this· species are Muttra, Cawnpore and Sitapur, but the visits, as I have shown, are by ·no means confined to these stations. Shortly after the rains have set in, and the grass has assumed a considerable length, the sharp, unmistakable call of the cock bird may be heard issuing from all directions. They are peculiar in their habits as regards the locality they visit. For instance, in the on September 30, 2021 by guest. year 1890, the racecourse at Muttra (within half a mile of canton­ ments) was full of them, and for some weeks on the racecourse alone I had excellent sport, bagging as many as fifteen to twenty couples in an hour or two, two or three times a week. After the rain fell the following year I looked forward to good sport on J R Army Med Corps: first published as 10.1136/jramc-02-06-07 on 1 June 1904. Downloaded from 719 " my" racecourse--not a bird existed! Also, the familiar call was sadly wanting in the country round. These birds are generally found in the long grass, but also in the young grain crops environing the field or maidan. Their absence from certain localities in one season, and their crowding the same locality during another, depends, I think, on the presence or absence of the food they like. In fact, in addition to the seed, &c., they may get from the grass itself, they prefer a grass field bordered by young crops. As a rule, I have shot these birds, either alone with a few "coolies" to form a close line, or with one or two more guns disposed at close intervals between the coolies. As you walk slowly along you will presently hear the familiar, sharp and distinctive call or the cock bird, "twit-twit, twit-twit"; this is very soon answered by another, till presently, from all directions, the air is full of the sharp note. When the birds are in profusion like this, you simply walk slowly all over the field, and at short intervals will flush a bird; and in a great fluster and flurry does he get up, flying off low down, but always Protected by copyright. in a straight line, whatever the direction, there is no tWIsting or turning. His flight, as a rule, is a short one and down he settles, to be flushed again, if he has escaped the charge of No. 8! As a rule, then, during the rains you will find our little friend, if not in one locality, then in another. But it is possible, as I shall show, if the birds are not plentiful in one place, to induce them to come together; and this is a form of sport, as far as I know, new to most, real sport, and which I quite accidently discovered. In 1897 I was stationed at Cawnpore during the Frontier trouble, and was doing very bard work. This necessitated sticking closely to http://militaryhealth.bmj.com/ the mill; so much so, that I could only occasionally spare from an hour to an hour and a half to devote to my favourite amusement­ shooting. About half a mile only from my house, and bordering on the native cavalry lines, was a large grass field well grown with grass, and containing, as my ear told me, at any rate, some rain­ quail. Having only such a short time at my disposal to go out shooting I considered whether it was worth while going out at all. T hen it occurred to me, that under the circumstances" call birds" would be advisable and justifiable. I at once sent my bearer off to on September 30, 2021 by guest. the" bazaar" to ask a man to bring some call birds. Before long my bearer announced two half-clad Aryan brothers,. who said they understood all about calling the birds. I gave them the order to gq out to "my" field and locate the call birds, and let me know when all was ready. To my astonishment they said they did not keep call birds, but did the calling themselves. So I went J R Army Med Corps: first published as 10.1136/jramc-02-06-07 on 1 June 1904. Downloaded from 720 Rain-Quail Shooting into my room and told them to go into the garden and give me an exhibition of their powers. In one minute the place seemed alive with quail, the two men alternately imitating the familiar call. Not only this, but they modulated the tone, apparently making the sounds come from far and near. I have never heard anything better done. I now told them to go off and call some birds up, and I would follow in an hour or so.

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