_J. Gould and H.C. Richter del et lith._ _C. Hullmandel Imp._
]
SYNOÏCUS? CHINENSIS.
Chinese Quail.
_Perdix Chinensis_, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 652.
_Coturnix excalfatoria_, Temm. Pig. et Gall., 8vo, tom. iii. pp. 516
and 743.—Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. xi. p. 371.
_Tetrao Chinensis_, Linn. Syst. Nat., vol. i. p. 277.—Ib. Gmel. Edit.,
vol. i. p. 765.—Linn. Trans., vol. xiii. p. 324.
_Coturnix Philippensis_, Briss. Orn., vol. i. p. 454. sp. 17. tab. 25.
fig. 1.—Ib. 8vo, vol. i. p. 71.
_Fraise, ou Caille de la Chine_, Buff. Hist. Nat. des Ois., tom. ii.
p. 478.—Ib. Sonn. Edit., tom. vii. p. 104.—Bonnat. Tab. Ency. Orn.,
223. pl. 96. fig. 3.
_Chinese Quail_, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. iv. p. 783.—Edw. Glean., pl.
247.—Lath. Gen. Hist., vol. viii. p. 318.
_Coturnix Chinensis_, Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 509.
_Caille des Philippines_, Buff. Pl. Enl., 126. fig. 2. female.
_Perdix Manillensis_, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 655. female.
_Tetrao Manillensis_, Gmel. Ed. Linn. Syst. Nat., vol. i. p. 764.
female.
_La petite Caille de l’Ile de Luçon_, Sonn. Voy., p. 54. pl. 24.
female.
_Petite Caille de Manille_, Sonn. Edit. Buff. Ois., tom. vii. p.
142.—Bonnat. Tab. Ency. Orn., p. 221. pl. 97. fig. 4.
_Manilla Quail_, Lath. Gen. Syn., vol. iv. p. 790.—Ib. Gen. Hist.,
vol. viii. p. 321. female.
_Chaun-chun_ of the Chinese.
_Piker_ or _Pikan_ of the Sumatrans and Javanese.
The rounder form of the wing of this bird prevents me from retaining it
with any degree of propriety in the genus _Coturnix_; I have therefore
placed it provisionally in that of _Synoïcus_, with the members of which
section its contour will be found to assimilate.
This is one of the few species of Australian birds that I have not
personally seen in a state of nature, which is the more singular as I
have received skins from nearly every locality. I have ascertained,
however, that at some seasons it is very numerous in such low and humid
districts as are clothed with dense and luxuriant grasses and other
vegetable productions, but beyond this nothing more is known of its
history.
The sexes are so different in colour, that, as will be seen by the
synonyms given above, they have been regarded and described by some of
the older writers as distinct species, the male being adorned with a
much gayer attire than almost any other of the smaller _Gallinaceæ_,
while the garb of the female resembles that of the Common Quail in its
tints and markings.
Latham states that in China it is often seen in flocks of a hundred
together, and that as well as the Common Quail it is used to warm the
hands in winter, as may be seen in various drawings and paper-hangings
from China.
The male has the crown of the head and upper surface brown, irregularly
spotted with black, some of the feathers with a narrow stripe of buff
down the centre; wings brown, the coverts broadly margined with
chestnut-brown; sides of the head, breast and flanks fine grey; throat
black; within the black on each side an oblong patch, and on its lower
part a crescent-shaped mark of white; abdomen and under tail-coverts
deep rich chestnut-red; irides hazel; bill black; feet flesh-brown.
The female has a broad stripe over each eye sandy buff; crown of the
head and all the upper surface dark brown, crossed by fine bars of
lighter brown, and each feather, particularly those of the back and
rump, with a line of buff down the centre; throat and centre of the
abdomen buff; breast, sides of the neck, flanks and under tail-coverts
sandy buff, crossed by numerous crescentic marks of blackish brown;
irides dark brown; bill black; feet flesh-brown.
The figures are of the natural size.
------------------------------------------------------------------------