FRANK FORESTER’S FIELD SPORTS. 
AMERICAN QUAIL. 
Ortyx Virginiana — Stephens. La Perdrix (PAmerique — Brissot. 
The Quail ,—“ The Partridge ” in Pennsylvania and South¬ 
ward !, improperly. 
“ Male 10.15. Female 9^.14. 
u Breeds abundantly from Texas to Massachusetts ; in the 
interior, high on the Missouri, and in all intermediate districts. 
“ Adult male. 
u Bill short, robust, rather obtuse, the base covered with 
feathers; upper mandible* with the dorsal outline curved, the 
sides convex, the edges overlapping, the tip declinate; under 
mandible nearly straight in its dorsal outline, arched on the 
edges, the sides convex, nostrils concealed among the feathers. 
Head and neck of ordinary size; body short and bulky. Feet 
of ordinary length ; tarsus anteriorly scutellate,| a little com¬ 
pressed, spurless. Toes scutellate above, pectinate^ on the 
sides ; claws arched, obtuse. 
“ Plumage compact, glossy Feathers of the upper part of 
the head erectile into a tuft. Wings short, broad, much 
curved, and rounded ; the fourth quill the longest. Tail short, 
rounded, of twelve rounded feathers. 
“ Bill dark brown. Iris hazel. Feet grayish blue. The 
forehead, a broad line over each eye, and the throat and fore¬ 
neck white. Lore, auricular§ coverts, and a broad semilunar 
band on the foreneck, more or less black. Upper part of the 
head, hind and lower part of the neck, all round, reddish brown. 
Upper back and wing coverts, bright brownish red; the lower 
part of the back, light red, tinged with yellow. Primaries 
dusky, externally margined with blue; secondaries irregularly 
barred with light red. Tail grayish blue, excepting the middle 
* Mandible —division of bill corresponding to the jaws. 
t Scutellate —covered with scales overlapping each other like tiles 
X Pectinate —toothed like a comb. 
§ Auricular —belonging to the ear. t 
