i8o Allen's naturalist's library. 



hidden by the upper tail-coverts; less than half the length of 

 the wing. 



First primary flight-feather about equal to the third, the 

 second being generally slightly the longest : in some in- 

 stances the first three feathers are sub-equal, or the first may 

 even be a trifle the longest. 



Axillary feathers* long and white. 



Feet without spurs. Sexes different in plumage. 



This genus may be divided into two sections : 



A. Outer web of the primary flight-feathers with irregular 

 bars and marks of buff (species i and 2, pp. 180-184). 



B. Outer web of the primary flight-feathers uniform brown 

 (species 3 to 6, pp. 185-188). 



A. Outer zveb of the primary flight-feathers with i?'reguiar bars 

 and 7fiarks of buff. 



I. THE MIGRATORY QUAIL. COTURNIX COTURNIX. 



Tetrao coturnix, Linn. S. N. i. p. 278 (1766). 



Perdix cotur7iix, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 651 (1790). 



Coturnix commu?iis, Bonn. Tabl. Encycl. Meth. i. p. 217, pi. 



96, fig. 2 (1791); Dresser, B. Europe, vii. p. 143, pi, 476 



(1878) ; Plume and jVLarshall, Game B. of India, ii. p. 133, 



pi. (1879): et auctorum, /^^^/;;^. 

 Coturnix dactylisonans, Temm. Pig. et Gall. iii. pp. 478, 740 



(1815); Gould, B. Europe, iv. pi. 263 (1837). 

 Coturfiix vulgaris, Bout. Orn. Dauphine, p. 72, pi. 43, fig. i 



(1843). 

 Coturnix coturnix, Licht. ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. 

 xxii. p. 233 (1893). 

 Adult Male. — General colour above sandy-brown, with pale 

 buff shaft-stripes and black bars and markings ; chin and 

 throat luhite, with a black a7ichor-shaped mark down the middle: 

 chest rufous-buff, with pale shafts ; rest of under-parts paler. 

 Total lengthy 67 inches ; wing, 4*2 ; tail, i'5 ; tarsus, i. 

 * The feathers under the wing, where it joins the body. 



