COTURNIX. 



215 



with a broad subtevmiiial dark brown, nearly black band, tipped with 

 pale or yellowish white ; central tail feathers like the back beneath, 

 the chin and throat are white or creamy, encircled from the base of the 

 lower mandible with dark spots, forming a gular patch ; breast and 

 entire lower parts creamy white, or very pale buff, the feathers with 

 transverse dark bars ; lower tail-coverts ferruginous. The female is 

 like the male, but paler in colour, and wants the spur. 



Length. — ll'S to 13*5 inches, wing 5*5 to 6, tail 3 35 to 4, legs 

 bright red, irides brown, the orbital ring with a row of minute white 

 feathers, bill dusky brown. 



Hah. — Throughout India and Beloochistan. Breeds in April and May, 



Gen. Coturnix.— 6'm.5. 



Bill short, straight, very slightly curved at the tip ; tarsi not 



spurred ; tail short ; wings long and pointed ; 1st and 2nd quills longest. 



Primaries with pale rufous bars on their outer webs. 



0. covimunis. 



Primaries without pale rufous bars on their outer webs. 



G. coromandelica. 



Coturnix communis, Bonn. ; P. E.170; Gould. B. E. pi. 263; 



Jerd. Birds. Ind. iii. p. 586. No. 829; Sir. F. vol. iv. p. 447; Murray, 

 Edhk., Zool., t^-c, Sind, p. 203. — The Large Grey Quail. 



Top of head brown, the feathers edged paler; a mesial buffy line on the 

 crown ; supercilium pale yellowish white, reaching above the ear-coverts, 

 which are partially brown; lores and a line below the eye white; sides 

 of the neck white ; two narrow blackish lines from the sides of the 

 neck to below the throat, the interspace being white ; the upper black 

 band not always perfect ; chin and throat patch dark brown ; breast pale 

 buff, buffy white or rufous, with pale shafts to the feathers; sides of the 

 breast and flanks similar or deeper in colour, with pale shafts; abdomen 

 white, pale rufous, or buff ; back, scapulars and upper tail-coverta from 

 brown to a rich dark brown, each feather shafted a rich rufous, or buff, 

 with three transverse bars or bands of the same colour on each side, the 

 tips being pale buff; primaries dushy hrown with pale rufous l>ars on 

 their outer ivehs ; the secondaries with pale tips, and the tertials barred 

 buffy on both webs, the borders of the buffy bars darker than the ground 

 colour of the feathers. The female is like the male, but wants the central 

 throat patch, and the breast is spotted with brown or dark brown. She 

 is also much larger. 



Length. — 7 to 8 inches, wing 4 to 4'5, tail 1-6 to 2'25, irides brown 

 or hazel, legs pale fleshy, bill blackish with a brownish horny tinge 

 above and at the tip. 



Hah. — Sind, Punjab, Beloochistan, Afghanistan, the Deccan, N. 

 Guzerat, Rajputana, Kutch, Kattiawar and India generally to Nepaul. 

 In Sind it is a visitant in July, remaining till November, specially com- 

 mon in August and September. 



Coturnix coromandelica, Grn.j p. E. 35; Gould. B. As. pi. 7; 

 Jerdou^ Birds Lid. iii. p. 588. No. 830; Murray, Hdhk., Zool, SjX., 



