308 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



the bird's state of mind. Local and other names : 

 Tammy Norrie, Coulter-Neb, Sea Parrot, Tommy 

 Tomnoddy, Ailsa Cock, Cockandy, Lunda Bonger, 

 Gulderhead, Bottlenose, Pope, Marrot, Mullet. Sits 

 closely. 



QUAIL. 



( Coturnix commums.) 

 Order GALLING ; Family PHASIANID.E (PHEASANTS). 



Description of Parent Birds. Length about 

 seven inches. Beak rather short, strong, slightly 

 curved, and dusky. Irides hazel. A broadish, pale 

 wood-brown streak commences at the base of the 

 beak, and passes over the eye and ear-coverts. 

 The crown is also divided by a much narrower 

 streak of the same colour. The feathers of the 

 head, neck, back, rump, and tail are brown, with 

 lighter coloured shafts and longitudinal streaks of 

 wood-brown. Wing-quills dusky-brown, with small 

 rust-coloured bands on the outer webs. Chin and 

 throat white, crossed by two dark brown gorgets ; 

 breast pale rusty-brown with lighter shafts ; under- 

 parts yellowish-white ; flank-feathers pale buff in 

 the centre, mottled and barred on the margins 

 with brown. Legs, toes, and claws pale brown. 



The female lacks the gorgets, and has the breast 

 feathers marked with dark spots on either side 

 of the pale shafts. 



Situation and Locality. On the ground in grow- 

 ing cornfields, grass and clover fields, very sparingly 

 throughout the British Isles. 



Materials. The slight hollow used as a nest 

 is scantily lined with blades of grass, trodden down, 

 or a few dead leaves. 



