COTURNIX. 461 



Genus COTUENIX. 



The Quails were included by Linnaeus in his genus Tetrao, but in 1790 

 Bonnaterre established the genus Coturnix for their reception in the 

 ' Tableau Encyclopedique et Methodique des trois Regnes de la Nature ' 

 (i. p. 217). The Common Quail (the Tetrao coturnix of Linnaeus) must 

 of necessity be the type. 



The Quails may be distinguished by their long pointed wings and very 

 short tail. They are birds of small size. The tarsus is scutellated in 

 front, reticulated behind, and is generally without a spur. The nostrils 

 are bare of feathers. 



There are about twenty species of Quails, which are distributed through- 

 out the Old World, with the exception of the Arctic Region. One species 

 only is European, which is a regular summer visitor to the British Islands. 



The Quails resemble the Partridges in their habits. They are ground- 

 birds, fond of skulking amongst the herbage, and are more or less gre- 

 garious. Many of the species are migratory, and journey to and from 

 their breeding-grounds in immense flocks. Upon the ground they walk 

 and often run with great speed : their flight is very quick and whirring, 

 but is seldom prolonged. Their notes are shrill and monotonous. Their 

 food consists principally of small seeds and insects. They are both poly- 

 gamous and monogamous. Their nests are mere depressions in the ground, 

 in which are scraped a few bits of grass, leaves, &c. ; and their eggs are 

 numerous, olive-green or yellow, sometimes spotted and blotched with 

 brown. 



