424 THE BIRDS OF MONGOLIA ETC. 



201. CoTURNix COMMUNIS, Boiiii. ? Perepelka obiknovennaya. 



A male was obtained in S.E. Mongolia in June. It differs from the 

 European bird in the longer lancet-shaped feathers of the sides of the throat, 

 which are like those of Perdix barbata. I cannot say if this is a constant or 

 only an occasional case, as we have got but one specimen for comparison. 



I will just mention here that I have never heard the note of the 

 European Quail in MongoUa, which is so easily distinguished from the 

 Japanese species. 



202. CoTURNix JAPONICA, Tcmm. & Schleg. Perepelka Japonskaya. 



Coturnix japonica, Temm. & Schleg. Eann. Jap. pi. Ixi. 

 Coturnix muta, Pall. 



This bird is easily distinguished from the European one by its voice. 

 We found it in S.E. MongoUa, Ordos, Kan-su, and about Koko-nor, 

 breeding, sometimes numerously and at others abundantly ; and from the end 

 of March to the middle of summer the call^note of the males can be heard 

 daily, consisting of some deep hollow sounds several times repeated in quick 

 succession. In the Yellow-River valley they winter in great numbers, and 

 sometimes stop for the cold season also in S.E. Mongolia. In Kan-su they 

 occur in the steppes, but avoid the narrow mountain-valleys. 



We found it common in Ussuri-country, where it principally keeps to 

 the plains and steppes. It arrives there in spring, about the end of March 

 or early in April, and leaves again about September and October; a few, 

 however, remain here to winter. The spring call-note of the males is to be 

 heard until the middle of August ; and the first young were found by us 

 on the 29th of May. 



