430 CLASS XVI. 



Japan ; the back is rosy-yellow with black and brown, interrupted trans- 

 verse bars, belly whitish ; the head, which is completely feathered, has a 

 white streak above the eyes. The quails are migratory birds in Europe. 

 They live in polygamy, and the females lay many (8 — 16) eggs. The note 

 of the male, which is heard in summer, when the moon shines, sometimes 

 during the whole night, is well known. — Coturnix cJiincnsis, Coturnix 

 excalfactoria Temm., Tetrao chinensis L., Brisson Ornith. i. PI. -25, fig. r, 

 GUERIN Iconogr., Ois. PI. 46, fig. i (male), Sonner. Voy. a la Nouv. 

 Githi. PI. 24 (fem.); the male is bluish-grey with dark black throat, under 

 which is a white streak; belly red-brown behind; Java and elsewhere. 

 This species is one of the smallest of this genus, aU the species of which 

 occur only in the eastern hemisphere. In a species from Bengal the tarsi 

 of the male are furnished with a tubercle or rudiment of blunt spur : 

 Coturnix canibayensls, Perdix camhayensls Lath., Temm. PI. col. 447. 



Cnjjjtonyx Temm., Rollulus Bonnat., Gray. Bill short, thick, 

 compressed. Nostrils lateral, longitudinal, covered by naked 

 membrane. Orbital region naked. Tarsi long, unarmed, covered 

 anteriorly with one row or two of large scutes. Three front toes 

 connected at the base by membrane; hallux raised, clawless. Wings 

 short, concave, with fourth and fifth quills longest of all. Tail 

 short, deflected, hidden in great part by the coverts. 



Sp. Cryptonyx coronatus Temm. (Oolumba cristaia Gm. male, and Tetrao vindis 

 Lath, fem.), le Rouloul de Malacca Sonner., Voy. aux Ind. orient. PI. 

 113, Temm. PI. color. 350, 351, Guer. Iconogr., Ois. PI. 43, fig. i, Lesson 

 Ornith. PI. 86, fig. r ; common at Sumatra, occurs also at Borneo. — Cryp- 

 tonyx Dmsmnierii Less., Perdix t .ifa Hardw., Cryptomjx ferrugincus 

 Vigors ; Borneo, Malacca. 



Ortyx Stephens, CoUnus Lesson. Bill short, thick, curved, 

 high at the base, with tip of upper mandible produced; lower man- 

 dible short, with margin crenate or bidentate. Nostrils basal, partly 

 covered above by a vaulted membrane. Tarsi unarmed, strong, 

 often longer than middle toe, covered anteriorly with a double row 

 of scutes. Hallux raised. Wings concave, with first quill short, 

 fourth mostly longest of all. Tail with 12 feathers, mostly moderate 

 or somewhat long. 



This genus contains small species only, which are generally not larger 

 than the quail, seldom of the size of the common partridge, and represent 

 in North and South America the genus Perdix, which is wanting there. 

 Compare D. Douglas Observations on some species of the genera Tetrao and 

 Ortyx, natives of North America, Linn. Transact, xvi. pp. 133—149. 



Sp. Ortyx virginianus, Tetrao virginianus L. (and Tetrao mexicanus and 

 marilandicus ejusd.), Perdix borcalis Tejam., Buff. PI. enl. 149; — Ortyx 



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