COMMON QUAIL. 105 



of the slight wattle incident to the true grouse, be- 

 comes of a pinkish-red colour. In the female, the 

 tips of the feathers become more decidedly marked 

 with pale yellowish-grey. It is a bird much more 

 liable to variation than any of the other British 

 Rasores the pheasant, if included, being excepted. 

 It is frequently met with of different shades of 

 cream colour, the dark markings keeping a cor- 

 responding measure of intensity ; and it is some- 

 times blotched, as it were, with pure white spots. 

 We, last winter, procured a specimen from Mr. 

 Fenton, in Edinburgh,* above of a brown tint, deeper 

 than usual, but with the ordinary markings ; thp 

 ground colour of the breast and under parts is of the 

 uniform grey, w r hich covers the breast in the ordi- 

 nary state of the bird, having the black wavy mark- 

 ings ; but there is not the slightest trace of broader 

 marking to the feathers, or of the " horse shoe," 

 which prevails in other states, and, to a certain 

 extent, even in the female ; the head, neck, and 

 patch on the throat, are umber-brown, and around 

 the bill, mouth, and eyes, is nearly pure black ; the 

 bill itself is of a darker colour than usual. 



THE COMMON QUAIL, COTURNIX DACTYLISONANS, 

 Temm Tetrao coturnix, Willough., Ray, Linn. 

 Perdix coturnix, Lath., etc. Quail or Common 

 Quail of Brit. Ornith. The Common Quail seems 



* Mr. Fenton, Preserver of Birds, &c., No. 66, George 

 Street, Edinburgh. 



