OUILE—OULT 761 
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the species, and were so highly prized by the natives prior to the 
Spanish conquest that no one was allowed to kill the bird when 
taken, but only to divest it of its feathers, which were to be worn 
by the chiefs alone. These plumes, the middle and longest of 
which may measure from three feet to three feet and a half, are with 
the upper surface, the throat and chest, of a resplendent golden- 
green,! while the lower parts are of a vivid scarlet. The middle 
feathers of the tail, ordinarily concealed, as are those of the Pea- 
cock, by the uropygials, are black, and the outer white with a black 
base. In the hen the bill is black, the crest more round and not 
filamentous, the uropygials scarcely elongated and the vent only 
scarlet. The eyes are of a yellowish-brown. Southern examples 
from Costa Rica and Veragua have the tail-coverts much narrower, 
and have been needlessly considered to form a distinct species 
under the name of P. costaricensis, There are, however, three good 
congeneric species, P. antisianus, P. auriceps and P. pavoninus, from 
various parts of South America, and, though all are beautiful birds, 
none possesses the wonderful singularity of the Quezal. 
QUILL, properly that part of FEATHER which is often called 
the “barrel” ; but in common use applied to any feather that has 
a barrel of considerable size, and especially to the large feathers of 
the tail and wing (see RECTRICES, REMIGES). 
QUILL-TAIL COOT, a local name in North America for £7is- 
matura rubida, one of the Spiny-tailed Ducks (p. 168). 
QUINCK-GOOSH, a fowlers’ name of the BRANT-GOOSE (pp. 
57, 375). 
QUISCALUS, said to be from the Low Latin Quiscula or 
Quisquilla, which like Quaquila are supposed to be renderings of 
Quagila or some such word, and to mean QUAIL, but the first is used 
as the scientific name of the genus to which belong the Boat-TarL 
GRACKLES, and also occasionally as an English word. 
QUIT, a name applied in Jamaica, and perhaps some others of 
the British Antilles, to several very different kinds of birds, 
probably from the note they utter (¢f. Guit-cuit). Thus the 
Banana Quit is the SUGAR-BIRD, the Blue Quit is Huphonia jamaica, 
one of the TANAGERS, the Grass-Quits are species of Phonipara 
allied if not belonging to the Hmberizide (BUNTING), and the 
Orange-Quit is Glossoptila rujicolls, one of the Cxrebide. 
1 Preserved specimens, if exposed to the light, lose much of their beauty in 
a few years, the original glorious colour becoming a dingy greenish-bJue. 
