Note: Information is dated. Do not rely on it.

Quail. A name applied to several members of the grouse family, which is found widely distributed in both the eastern and western hemispheres. The best known American species is the Virginia quail, which is found from Maine to Florida, and as far west as Oklahoma and South Dakota. It is about ten inches long. The back is rufous. with black or dark brown markings; the forehead and breast are black, the throat and belly white. The female has a buff throat. The nest is placed on the ground and contains from ten to eighteen white eggs. The flesh of the quail is highly esteemed as a table delicacy. Other American species are the California mountain quail and the valley quail, both of the Pacific coast of the United States. Both of these birds are plumed, that of the mountain quail drooping, and of the valley quail erect. The European quail belongs to the genus Coturnix, and is found in most parts of the old world.

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