XVI 



LADY BETTY'S HUSBAND 



BOB was the husband of Lady Betty, our tame quail. 

 He was born in a snug, grassy nest at the edge of 

 the meadow beyond the orchard. His mother with the 

 wisdom of her race had so timed the laying of her eggs 

 that Bob and his fourteen brothers and sisters were 

 hatched just three days after longhorns, the grasshopper, 

 and his nestmates crawled out of the grass and weeds at 

 the further edge of the meadow. Within less than twenty 

 minutes of the time Bob was hatched, he was attempting to 

 follow his mother through the wilderness that man called 

 a meadow. His fellows had all popped out of their shells 

 within a few moments of the time that Bob crept out of 

 his. One of the marvellous things about the wildlings 

 who lead their young from the nest in search of food is 

 that many of them often hatch all their eggs at almost the 

 same moment. 



When quail eggs were hatched under the old bantam hen, 

 they often required several hours to get out of the shell. 

 Bob and his fellows were hatched in the morning and left 

 the nest as soon as the dew had dried off the grass. The 

 ever watchful mother, knowing where the grasshoppers 

 were emerging by the thousands, led her brood to the 

 edge of the cornfield where each little fledgling tried to 

 excel the other in catching baby grasshoppers. 



104, 



