X
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Coturnix communis, Bonnaterre.
VomaCUlar lTames.-[Bhalci-, Burrabhater, Gagus bhater, Upper India; Buttairo,
Bulteyra, Stud; Buttree, Ltnoer Bengal; Soipol, Alampur; Botah Surrai,
Assam; Lowa, Ratna»iri; Bur-ganja, Biir-ganji, Gi'ir-ganj, Ptotta, Satara,
&c; Burli, Belgaum; Gogari-yellichi (Telegu); Peria-ka-deh (Tamil);
Sipale haki (Canarese), Mysore; Budiiia (Turki) ; Watwalak, Kashgar
(common people.) ]
JHE Common Quail is found nearly all over the Indian
Empire, except in Tcnasserim, the very easternmost
portions of Assam* and Ceylon ;f but it grows very
rare towards the southern extremity of the Peninsula},
and in the countries south-east^ of the mouths of
the Ganges, Chittagong,|| ArakanlT and Pegu,** can
only, I think, be considered as a rare straggler.
Out of India it occurs in Bcluchistan, Afghanistan, Persia,
Arabia, in fact nearly the whole of Asia (excluding the more
* I have it from Sylhct, Norlh-Eastern Cachar, and Shillong, and it has been
procured at Chera I'unji. Mr. S. Engl is says :—*' This Quail is rather rare in Cachar.
I have only seen it three or four times when out Snipe-shooting in October."
Colonel Graham writes :—"The Common Quail I have seen in Goalpara, Kamrup,
Darrang, and Lakhimpur; in all of these districts they are very rare; they are
generally in pairs, and in a day you would not see over three brace at the outside.
Towards Sadiya they do not occur."
t Mr. A. Whyte says :—"There is no authentic record up to date of the occurrence,
in a wild state, of either C. communis or cortimandelua in Ceylon ; both have,
however, been repeatedly liberated in the Cinnamon Gardens of Colombo, along
with other Indian species. Whether any of these introduced birds still survive I
cannot say, but certainly they have not multiplied, and you may safely assume that
neither species is indigenous to the island."
% Writing from Mynall, Southern Travancore, Mr. Frank Bourdillon says :—
"Quails about here are very scarce ; one occasionally comes across a few in the low
country, but in this part of the hills they are very rare, and I have never shot any.
Their rarity here is, I suppose, due to the prevalence of heavy forest and the comparatively
small amount of grass land and cultivation, for I am told that some 50 miles
north on this same range (The Assambu Hills), where the country is more open, very
pretty Quail-shooting may be had/"
§ Even immediately west of these it is rare. Mr. Rainey says that to the Jessore
district it is a rather rare cold weather visitant.
II Mr. Fasson writes :—"The large Grey Quail docs occur in Chittagong, but is
rare."
If Blyth says it occurs in Arakan. I have not been able to verify this. He also
says that it has occurred in Martahan, but I have had so many persons now collecting
in Tcnasserim for so many years, that I cannot accept this habitat.
Where Blanford got it. Kamsayalso got it in Kaiennee.