COTURNIX COTURNIX 249 



Coturnix communis Lochc, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. ii, p. 239 (1867) ; 



Whitaker, Ibis, 189-i, p. 98. 

 Coturnix dactylisonans, Eoenig, J. f. 0, 1888, p. 257 ; id. J. f. 0. 



1893, p. 75. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from North Tunisia. 



Upper plumage generally yellowish-brown, mottled in some parts with 

 dark brown and black, and striped conspicuously with long streaks of 

 bright buff, bordered with black ; entire upper wing sui'face light brown, 

 barred with rufescent-buff ; chin and centre of throat black; underparts 

 generally buif, darker on the breast and flanks, and striped in part with 

 white, black and rufous. 



Iris hazel ; bill and feet flesh-colour. 



Total length 650 inches, wing 4'25, culmen 0'50, tarsus 1. 



Adult female similar to the male, but without any black on the chin 

 and throat, and with the breast more or less spotted. 



Observations. — There is considerable individual variation in the colouring 

 and marking of the Quail, apart from abnormal "varieties" or "sports," 

 which are also not unfrequently met with, my collection containing examples 

 of albinism, isabellanism, and melanism. The so-called Syncecus lodoisim, 

 Verr. & Des Murs (Eev. et Mag. Zool. 1862, p. 225, pi. 11), which was 

 captured in Lombardy and is preserved in the Turati collection at Milan, 

 appears to be merely a case of melanism, its coloration greatly resembling 

 the Australian genus Syncecus. 



The Quail is as abundant in Tunisia as it is in most parts of the 

 Mediterranean, the spring passage of the species commencing about 

 the middle of March and lasting till the end of May, while the return 

 passage takes place throughout the month of September and the 

 early part of October. During the height of the vernal migration, 

 which may be said to be between April 20th and May 10th, the 

 number of Quails which pass is sometimes very large, though of 

 recent years not so great as it used to be. The bulk of the birds 

 merely pass through the Kegency, but many pairs remain and breed 

 in the country, and a certain number also winter there. 



The return passage in autumn is far less important numerically 

 than the spring one. The contrary seems to be the case in some 

 other Mediterranean countries, where the autumnal migration is 

 more marked. This seems to indicate that either different routes are 

 taken by the birds in the two seasons, or that different localities on 

 the same route are chosen as halting or resting places on the outward 

 and return journey. An argument in favour of the latter theory is 



