]20 
THE COMMON QUAIL. 
to contain a large proportion of animal heat, from the 
pugnacious disposition of their tempers. 
The common quail has the crown of the head and 
hack of the neck black, each feather margined with 
chestnut j and down the centre of the head and neck 
there is a cream-yellow streak. Over each eye, and 
proceeding down the neck, is a white streak : chin 
and throat chestnut-brown, mixed with blackish- 
brown. Back scapulars and wing-coverts black, the 
feathers margined and varied with brown, and each 
having its shaft and central parts sienna-yellow. The 
breast and belly are pale buff or orange, the shafts and 
margins of the feathers yellowish-white. Tail black- 
ish-hrown, with the shafts, tips, and base cream- 
yellow. In the female there is no black or brown 
on the neck and throat. Her breast is spotted with 
blackish-brown, and the general tints of her plumage 
are paler. Pure white on spotted varieties some- 
times occur. 
We must now describe a singular American bird, 
of whose station we are by no means certain. — It is 
