THE QUAIL. 879 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Resident. Generally distributed, 

 but local in Scotland, not present Shetlands, but introduced (not 

 successfully) O. Hebrides and Orkneys. Becoming scarce Ireland. 

 Distribution. — Abroad. — Distributed over greater part of Europe, 

 and replaced by closely-allied forms on alpine meadows of Pyrenees 

 and north Spain, as well as in eastern Europe and western Asia, 

 east to foot of Altai Mountains. 



Genus COTURNIX Bonn. 



Coturnix Bonnaterre, Tabl. Enc. et meth., i, pp. lxxxvii, 216 (1791 — 

 Type by tautonymy Coturnix communis — Cotur nix coturnix). 



Very much smaller than Perdix, smallest British game-bird. 

 Plumage less rich and full than in Perdix, shape of wings very 

 different, 1st primary as long as 2nd or longer. Secondaries very 

 much shorter. Tail less than half length of wing, with 12 rectrices, 

 in some tropical species only 10. No spurs. Sexes easily dis- 

 tinguishable by colour. Five species in Europe, Asia, Africa, 

 Australia, one extinct in New Zealand. The Palsearctic species 

 in a number of subspecies. Eggs heavily spotted. Migratory and 

 thus unlike all our other game-birds. 



COTURNIX COTURNIX 



492. Coturnix coturnix coturnix (L.) — THE QUAIL. 



Tetrao Coturnix Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 161 (1758 — Europe, 



Asia, Africa. Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Coturnix communis Bonnaterre, Yarrell, in, p. 123 ; Saunders, p. 505. 



Description. — Adult male. Winter. — Crown black more or less 

 concealed by buff tips to feathers, with a pale buff narrow median 

 streak and rather broader and more whitish-buff streak on each 

 side from base of culmen, over eye 

 to base of neck ; back of neck 

 brown to rufous -brown with varying 

 amount of black bars or blotches ; 

 rest of upper - parts mostly black 

 with narrow, wavy buff to buff-brown 

 bars and tips of feathers buff -brown 

 vermiculated greyish, feathers of 

 back of neck, mantle, scapulars and 

 down sides of back and upper tail- 

 coverts with very conspicuous, lance- 

 shaped Shaft -Streaks of pale buff The Quail ^turn^c.cotnrn^. Adult 



outlined with black ibut these very 



narrow on lower part of mantle and absent down centre of back and 

 rump ; lores pale buff ; from base of mandible, under eyes through 

 ear-coverts and down sides of neck a dark brown to chestnut stripe ; 

 chin and throat varying greatly : usually bunish -white with a black 



