260 Wild Birds and their Haunts 



three leather pipes, not unlike the teats of a cow, each 

 with a mouthpiece like a whistle. Concealing himself with 

 this instrument tied round his waist in a barred patch of 

 high corn during the month of August, he squeezed the 

 air out of No. I pipe, which yielded a comparatively loud 

 whistle deceptive enough to challenge any he-quail within 

 earshot. It would be that bird's instinct to run in the 

 direction whence this vexatious sound proceeded, where- 

 upon the old quailer would squeeze pipe No. 2, whose 

 note simulated a retreating bird's confession, ' ' I am funky 

 and will not fight." The third whistle impelled the on- 

 coming dupe, and he, with bosom in a ferment of blended 

 pugnacity and amorousness, rushed blindly into the net 

 spread at the quailer's feet. 



To Yorkshire naturalists sportsmen, and epicures the 

 quail is just now an interesting study. Perhaps no other 

 bird has formed the basis of so much speculation on the 

 subject of migration. No bird is, perhaps, so world-wide 

 in its distribution ; none so apt to go to extremes as con- 

 stituting a plague which cometh in the night, or making 

 itself strictly " conspicuous by its absence." Its move- 

 ments seem all the more remarkable because it is included 

 in the British game list, and related to the grouse and 

 partridge, two birds which are indigenous to these 

 islands, but do not migrate. The ' ' common " quail 

 (Coturnix communis) is not so common nowadays even in 

 Ireland — its favourite haunt in these islands — while in 

 Scotland it is virtually unknown ; but there are other 

 species which pass as ' ' rara avis " in Europe. All alike 

 are distinguished from grouse and partridge by their 

 entirely feathered heads, their straighter and more 

 pointed wings, and shorter tail. " Coturnix," the 

 smallest of our highly prized game-birds, measures seven 

 to eight inches. His upper parts are variegated with 

 reddish-grey and brownish-black, marked with white 

 bands, of which there are three on the head, the male 

 having a dark brown and the female a yellowish-grey 

 throat. 



The name "quail" appears to come from the old 

 French " quaille," now written " caille," or in Italian 



