QUAILOLOGY - ORNITHOLOGY 25 



CHICKS: scarcely fledged, 3-4 inches long. Bill reddish above; whitish 

 below; feet dull brownish. Above, light warm brown, varied with black, 

 boldly striped with white— each feather having a hammer-headed white 

 shaft-line. Some inner wing-quills like the back; others dusky with whitish 

 shafts, broken-barred with bujBE, chiefly on outer webs. Below, buffy-white, 

 with namberlsss spots of blackish paired on each feather, sharp and circu- 

 lar on breast, further back widening to bars, (t) 



NESTS AND BGGS 



Nesting habits similar to preceding species. Eggs, eight to 

 fifteen in number; white, smooth grain, ovate in form, otherwise 

 resembling the Bob White. 



HABITS 



This is one of the least known game birds of the United States. 

 Very showy in full plumage. Better known in Western Texas 

 as the Black or Black-bellied Quail, also as the Fool Quail. 



They are known to readily adapt themselves to changed condi- 

 tions of life and are frequently confined in cages after having 

 been caught from a wild state. 



Rarely seen in large numbers, usually six to ten in a covey. 

 Migratory, going southward in the fall. Very fond of dusting 

 themselves in the road. Of a very confiding disposition which 

 has given it the name of Fool Quail. The pole-cat is their 

 principle enemy. 



Their food consists of bulberous roots, seeds of lagumanous 

 plants, grain, and grass roots. They are very fond of cactus 

 seeds and insects, and seem to be very partial to coarse sand. 



EUROPEAN QUAIL 



Coturnix coturnix ( Linn. ) 



Geog. Dist, — Europe, Asia, etc. Introduced into the United States. 



Sp. Chae. Upper parts variegated with buflE or whitish and black upon 

 a mixed reddish-brown and gray ground, the most conspicuous markings 

 being sharp lance-linear lengthwise stripes of buff or whitish over most of 

 the upper parts, these dashes mostly edged with black; other less prominent 

 buff or whitish cross-bars, several to a feather, likewise framed in black, 

 Crown mixed brown and black, with sharp median and lateral buff stripes. 

 Throat white, bounded before by a dark bar curving down behind the 

 auriculars; behind, by a necklace of ruddy-brown, blackish, of whitish 

 spots; chin varied with dark marks in advance of the auricular bar. Under 

 parts fading to whitish from the bhff or pale yellowish-brown breast, with- 



t Coues Key to North American Birds. 



