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Heteromorphisms of chromosome banding patterns can be useful markers for gene mapping and other kinds of genetic studies. In Japanese quail, the centromere region of chromosome No. 4 is the site of a heteromorphism. One form of the C-band at this region is relatively small ("a" form); an alternative form is much larger ("b" form). To identify the transmission patterns, all possible matings were made between birds with karyotype a/a, a/b, and b/b. The outcome from all crosses are entirely consistent with the expectation from simple Mendelian transmission. No evidence was found for segregation distortion or gametic selection. This dimorphism, therefore, is a reliable marker.