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 8| 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. 



Nidification. Breeds in Northern Europe. 



QUAIL (Coturnix comntunis). 



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." 



