Fine resolution of the karyogram of the quail Coturnix coturnix japonica

Summary The authors have studied the karyogram of the quail Corturnix coturnix japonica in kidney-cells cultures, fixed while still wet and stained with iron haematoxilin and with the Feulgen technique.The diploid complement is 76 plus ZZ in the male and plus ZW in the female (Fig. 3 and 4).The number of microchromosomes is constant; they are Feulgen positive and have a centromere; therefore there is no reason to consider them different from macrochromosomes.Supported by a grant from the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche.