REMARKS ON JAPANESE QUAILS. 



BY 



Leonhard Stejneger. 



When writing my remarks on the Japanese quails recently sent me 

 by Dr. Ijima (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xvi, 1893, p. 623) I had not yet 

 seen Mr. Oglivie Grant's "Notes on the Genus Coturnix'''' (Ann. 

 Mag. Nat. Hist. (G) x, 1892, pp. 160-173), in which he advances the 

 theory, or rather announces as a demonstrated fact, that there are two 

 species occurring in Japan (and other portions of eastern Asia) viz : 

 G. coturnix, the typical European species, and G. japoniva, wbich, in 

 their purity, may be distinguished as follows: 



a' Feathers on throat amt chin short and rounded. 



b ' A hlack band down the middle of the throat C, coturnix <? 



b- No bhick band down the middle of the throat. 



c ' Chiu and throat white C. coturnix $ 



c- Chin and throat dark vinaceous-cinnamon [dull brick-red, O. G.] 

 ^ C.japonica S ad. 



a^ Feathers on throat and chin elongate and lanceolate. 



b ■ Entire throat white C.japonica $ 



6'^ Middle of throat suffused with dark cinnamon-rufous C.japonica S jiiv. 



The multitude of specimens which do not fall within the limits I have 

 here drawn, he disposes of by the following remark: "The intermedi- 

 ate forms are, as I shall presently show, undoubtedly the results of inter- 

 breeding." But I am sorry to say that he does not show this, for there 

 is no discussion of the material upon which he bases his remarks, nor 

 are we furnished with a list of his specimens with the accompanying 

 data upon which we might be enabled to base an opinion as to the cor- 

 rectness of his conclusions. All he gives us is a bare assertion to the 

 above effect, the essential part of which is as follows: "• In Japan and 

 China the nugratory Quail {G. coturnix), as already pointed out, inhab- 

 its the same tract of country during the breeding season as G.jajwnica, 

 and there can not be the slightest doubt that the two species fre- 

 quently interbreed, with the result that all sorts of intermediate hybrids 

 are produced. These intermediate plumages are UKjst noticeable among 

 the male hybrids. For instance, some have the dull brick-red throat 

 of G. japonica and the black anchor-shaped mark of G. coturnix, others 

 have only the upper two-thirds of the throat dull red and the lower 

 third white, while again a third lot have, in addition, a black band down 

 the center of the red part, and all kinds of intermediate s' ages between 

 these three examples may be found." 



Proceediugs National Miiseum, Vol. XVI — No. 974. 



765 



