PERDIX CO TURN IX 6 8 5 



ffab. The alpine regions of south-west Kan-su, the Amdos 

 plateau, the Nan-shan and Si-ning Mountains and Northern 

 Tibet. 



In habits it is said to resemble P. danrica, but its call-note 

 is harsher, and when taking wing it utters a more squeaking 

 and louder note than that bird. It is not found lower than 

 about 10,000 feet above the sea level. It breeds in May, the 

 number of eggs being about 15, these being similar to those 

 of P. hodgsonice. 



COTURNIX, Bonn., 1790. 



958. THE QUAIL. 

 COTURNIX COMMUNIS. 



Cotimiix comniunis, Bonnaterre, Tabl. Encycl. Meth. i. p. 217 (1790) ; 

 Gould, B. of Gt. Brit. iv. pi. 15 ; Dresser, vii. p. 143, pi. 476 ; Blanf. 

 F. Brit. Intl. Birds, iv. p. 114; Saunders, p. 505; Lilford, iv. 

 p. 121, pi. 54 ; Tetrao cotumic, Linn. Syst. Nat. i.p. 278 ; (Naum.), 

 vi. p. 576, Taf. 166 ; (Ogilvie Grant), Cat. B. IJr. Mus. xxii. p. 231 ; 

 C. i-tf/i/a.m, Bout. Orn. Dauph. p. 72, pi. 43, %. i. (1843) ; Hewitson, 

 i. p. 284, pi. Ixxii. 



Caille, French ; Codorniz, Portug. and Span. ; Quaglia, Ital. ; 

 Waclitel, German; Xwartel, Dutch; Vagtel, Dan. and Norweg; 

 Vciktel, S\ved. ; PcU<yyy, Finn. ; Percpelka, lluss. : Jjildcrtschin, 

 Persian ; Better, Hindu. 



ad. (England). Crown and nape blackish, brown, variegated with 

 rufous buff, and with a central and two lateral buff lines ; upper parts 

 warm light brown, broadly marked with dark brown and black, and with 

 long dashes of light buff ; wings and tail brown, barred with buff ; sides 

 of head pale brown ; throat and sides of neck buffy white ; a black patch 

 on the chin, a black band at the base of the throat, and a rufous band 

 below ; sides of neck washed with rufous ; breast pale rufous dashed with 

 white ; rest of under parts buffy white, the flanks rufous with buff central 

 stripes ; bill brownish horn ; legs fleshy brown ; iris brown. Culmen 0'5, 

 wing 4'15, tail 1'6, tarsus 1-1 inch. The female has the chin and throat 

 buffy white, unmarked with black, and the breast reddish buff, spotted 

 -with blackish brown. 



Hal). Europe generally, breeding north to Scandinavia and 

 Britain, and south to North Africa, migrating into South 

 Africa in winter ; Asia Minor and Asia, north to Siberia and 

 south to India in winter: not occurring in South-eastern Asia ; 

 in South Africa and the islands off the African coast it is re- 

 placed by a closely allied form, U. capensis, Licht., which, in the 



