BIRD BIOGRAPHIES 



inflection. It is plainly the rallying call and the answer- 



" 1 

 ing cry. 



Dallas Lore Sharp, in his charming book "Wild Life 

 Near Home," refers to the covey-call as follows: "It 

 was the sweetest bird-note I ever heard, being so low, so 

 liquid, so mellow that I almost doubted if Bob White 

 could make it. But there she stood in the snow with head 

 high, listening anxiously. Again she whistled, louder 

 this time; and from the woods below came a faint answer- 

 ing call, White! The answer seemed to break a spell; and 

 on three sides of me sounded other calls. At this the little 

 signaler repeated her eff"orts, and each time the answers 

 came louder and nearer. Presently something dark hur- 

 ried by me over the snow and joined the quail I was watch- 

 ing. It was one of the covey I had heard call from the 

 woods. 



"Again and again the signal was sent forth, until a 

 third, fourth, and finally a fifth were grouped about the 

 leader. There was just an audible twitter of welcome and 

 gratitude exchanged as each new-comer made his appear- 

 ance. Once more the whistle sounded ; but this time there 

 was no response across the silent field." 



Young quail are very precocious. They are able to 

 run about soon after they are hatched. They early learn 

 how to hide and "freeze." A friend told me of coming 

 suddenly upon a brood. The mother gave a call and all 

 fled instantly, except one that turned into a little brown 

 wooden image under a leaf at his feet. He picked it up 

 and held it in his hand. Not a motion did it make until 

 its mother gave a second call, when it shot out of his hand 

 like a flash. 



1 "Useful Birds and Their Protection, E. H. Forbush, page 328. 



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