Coturmx. dactylisonans; fA feyw J
QTDAI3L.
Genus COTUHiSlDS, 1
<***• C,IAK' Bmit »hort a«A somc-.whai. feeble, the uppcriauiaiibh? our»«) towards the point.
.Nostrils basal, lateral, and half covered with a membrane. Orbits clone!..i, rr ! ad.by
feathers. \Wings moderate, having the first ami second qulbfeatheni the I »isgtat Tarsi
smooth, without spurs or tubercles. Toes four in number, tims» before awT M»e behind.
Tail short, rounded, and concealed by the tail-coverts.
Q U A I L .
, V ■ ■ Meyer* IMij
■ I,# CkMI«., •
WTreouTCoMnumiteg upon the propriety o f separating j||i Quails f e n » - a point <>ii which we
are fully derided, we shall at once eater upoa n Riatory oi’ ¡lie lii.nl beferc ilsi'ihfc indr . of the Gullinaueous
order.enjoys so wide a range in the Old World the Common Qu ail, It is abundant in Picrth Africa, jbost
parts o f India, and, i f we mistake not, China! while the whole t t the southern pcrdons o f Sibfret, and eroty
country in Europe except those approximating to the polar circle, are riailwt 1»y It annually. pit adopted » r a
permanent abode. A considerable number are stationary in the southern pontene o f Europe, such as Italy,
Spain, and Portugal. hut their numbers are greatly increased in tile spring by tin accession of visitors,V.i,eh
«twgrate from the parched plains o f Africa, in search o f more abundant supplies o f food, and*congenial
brecdiug-place. So vast and countless arc the flocks which ofteirpjss over to the islands and European shores
o f the Mediterranean, that a mode o f wholesale slaughter is usually put in practice against them, a circumstance
which 110 doubt tends to limit their inordinate increase. They are polygamous in their lmbits i and in their
migrations the males always precede the females, and are easily decoyed into nets by an'artificial imitation of
rite voice of the latter. This mode of taking them is practised to a great extent in France and other parts
til the GmtiMM, «Wdt accounts for the east majority o f male birds yearly imported from thence into tinl
JUndon markets. In the British Maude rite Quail is more sparingly dispensed, arriving til spring as toon as
8 » tender corn is o f a suflirinrt hrigki to alliwi it shelter, and remaining with us fill it has performed the
dutiee o f incubatitai, when fie iwirru % ¿nibliu! jm ra r t* towards the sooth; for although when flashed in ,.r
fields its (light is neither ¡»Oti.„ |S! n.. ■ li ■■! i..i.. . , to ■ . . .
the general contoor of its w<H^ri iflwl ** tf.* iw ^ t ,
The eggs are from eight in tw * » i... imeiter, „ : »l. I * ,* » lU eW d awl f e t e ....
bmown and black, and are dcpoaUeii j.hs: '4<si rti m::K.
The sexes may be distinguished by the nfcfe pi; . h' „ s mark on the thru»*, » h ah pan, i . the female
* The youcg of the year so closely n Bible the ieunilc that they are s.a rmy. n. hi, distinguished.
Ihe general plumage o f the upper sarfiicc is brown, L mutiftflly t . - . V W flashes of black end yelhm,
uerl :iniiicroiis line zigrhg transverse tines o f black ; the seapsibries and the leathers on. the flanks have each «
». ,.vplaie stripe o f yellowish bulf «lowii their centres i the chin is dnsly white . ordered in the male’ r.I:
kittofet the breast and belly pale hull, the sides bring streaked and moufcir with reddish brown, h i.
SMd white; tarsi brownish flesh colour; hi!) broivo.
‘Ww Plate represents a male and, female of ther