234 COTURNIX DACTYLISONANS. 



brown, banded on the outer webs with pale red, the first quill 

 with its outer edge white. The tail dark brown, centrally marked 

 and transversely barred with whitish. There is a longitudinal 

 band of dusky brown on the throat, of which the sides are 

 light reddish-brown mottled with whitish ; the loral space and 

 a double crescent on the fore-neck brownish-black. The sides 

 of the neck and the fore part of the breast are light yellowish- 

 brown or reddish, the former spotted with black and yellowish- 

 white, the latter marked with whitish shaft-lines. The middle 

 of the breast, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts are of a paler 

 tint approaching to whitish ; the sides light brownish-red, each 

 feather with a central band of white, edged with brownish- 

 black. 



Length to end of tail 8 inches ; extent of wings 14; wing 

 from flexure 4i ; tail If ; bill along the ridge ^^ ; tarsus 1 ^-^^ ; 

 middle toe |§, its claw 3§ twelfths. 



Female. — The female is similarly coloured above, but with 

 the longitudinal streaks shorter and tinged with yellowish -red. 

 The throat is reddish-w^hite, without crescentic dark bands ; 

 the sides and fore part of the neck, and the fore part of the 

 breast are light yellowish-red, spotted with brownish-black. 



Length to end of tail 7i inches ; wing from flexure 4^ ; 

 tarsus 1 ; middle toe and claw ly^^. 



Variations. — In old individuals the tints are brighter and 

 deeper than in younger ones ; but the variations are not other- 

 wise very remarkable. Individuals occasionally occur in coun- 

 tries w^here this bird is common, of a pure or yellowish- white 

 colour, sometimes dusky all over, or spotted with white ; but 

 with us variations of this kind must be very rare, as I have 

 not met with any in the museums. 



Habits. — The Common Quail is, according to authors, ge- 

 nerally distributed over Europe, and a great part of Asia and 

 Africa. In the former region it is migratory, arriving in the 

 beginning of summer, and departing in September, generally 

 in vast straggling flocks. In the countries on the Mediter- 



