BIRDS OF THE GARDENS 23 



Plumage. — Upper parts olive-brown, broad white 

 stripe over eye ; under parts whitish, streaked with 

 dark brown ; under wing-coverts and flanks chestnut-red. 

 Bill dark brown. Legs pale brown. Length 8J in. 

 Female, less bright than male. Young, spotted on 

 upper and under parts. 



Language. — Song, a pleasing fluty ditty, like " trui " 

 repeated two or three times, then " tri-tri-tri " ; seldom 

 heard in England. Call-note, " see-you." Another 

 note like " chack." 



Habits. — Gregarious. Flight rapid, much resembling 

 the Song Thrush. Usually frequenting the same 

 locality year after year. 



Food. — Insects, snails, worms, various berries. 



Nidificatio7i. — Breeds in Northern Europe. 



QUAIL (Coturnix communis). 



Migrant for the greater part, coming in spring and 

 departing in October ; but some are resident. Found 

 less abundantly nowadays in England than formerly. 

 In Scotland, distribution limited ; in Ireland, rare. 



Haunts. — Both cultivated and uncultivated districts. 



Plumage. — Generally sand-brown, with buff shafts to 

 feathers. Throat and collar white, margined with 

 black and finishing with black patch on throat. Fore- 

 chest buff. Three parallel, longitudinal yellowish streaks 

 on head ; under parts white. Bill, feet, and legs 

 yellowish brown. Length 8 in. Female paler, and 

 minus the crescentic collar on throat ; chest more 

 spotted. Young like female. 



Language. — Call-note of male, three piping syllables, 

 usually written " click-lik-lik," or " wet my lips." 



