N. Taka-Tsukasa—Quail Breeding in Japan 25


become very different from that of the wild birds. The domestic birds

sing “ Qua grrrr ”, instead of “ Qua kali ”, the usual wild song. The

Japanese praise this style of song, i.e. “ Qua grrr ”. It reminds one of

the sound of distant thunder, and high prices are asked for birds which

prolong the sound of “ grrr ” longest.


Those who like the Quails or to hear their song often meet together

with their Quails at a club, restaurant, or similar place, and judge the

song of the Quails, the best birds receiving a prize and being registered.

Many people name their Quails as they do race-horses. Such meetings

were often held in the Middle Tokugawa period, and the daimyos

and rich people of that period kept their favourite Quails in cages

made of precious wood, ivory, or raised lacquer, inlaid with gold, silver,

and shells, and decorated with beautiful coloured silk braid. It was

said that such cages were usually made.in pairs, and the meetings were

held in the early morning, for the Quails sing their song best in the

morning or the evening. It is true that the Quails sing best at those

times, but at present many people disregard the time, for the Quails

sing quite freely at all hours while on show, performing repeatedly

against each other. During recent years an added interest in keeping

Quails is that the hen lays at least 150 to 250 eggs in one year, and the

laying season can be arranged at the will of the keeper. A further

interest lies in getting the Quails to lay in small cages, made of bamboo

bars, and measuring four-fifths of a foot square, the top being netted

over and the floor strewn with sand, the Quail being a species of game¬

bird and addicted to sand-baths.


The birds are fed like the canary of England, in the sense that the

food is suspended at an opening at the side of the cage. Quails are fed

on a kind of soft food, called by the Japanese “ Suriye ”, which is

composed of river fish smoked, dried, and ground to a powder, and

mixed with meal of roasted rice and chaff. Bean-meal is sometimes

added to this. The animal food is called “ Namaye ” and the meal

“ Kinako ”, or “ Ko ”. The silver carp and a kind of dace (Leuciscus

macropus) are commonly used for “ Namaye ”, but the dace is said to

be preferable to any other fish. “ Kinako ” is composed of equal

parts of roasted rice-meal and chaff, and the quantity of bean-meal is

left to the will of the person who uses it. The usual proportions for the



