354 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



whirr and glide like the larger bird, and drops again almost 

 immediately. Indeed, the only sign of its presence is, as a rule, 

 its liquid trisyllabic call, ivhit^ whit, whit, which gives origin to 

 its vernacular names, " Wet-my-lips," or " Wet-my-feet," and 

 the Cheshire " But-for-But." This is the call or challenge of 

 the male, and there is a low double note common to the sexes. 

 That Quails migrate in hordes is known, and nocturnal travel 

 seems usual, but when the birds are nesting they are less 

 sociable ; the autumn "bevy" is often no more than the family, 

 though if many stopped to winter bevies would probably 

 combine. The food differs little from that of the Partridge ; 

 Saunders refers to its fondness for chickweed, and if this is so 

 its scarcity cannot be due to food shortage. Small though it is 

 the Quail is a fighter, and we are told that it will duel to the 

 death ; no doubt it will in a Chinese cockpit, where it cannot 

 escape, but in a free state a beaten bird seldom waits to be 

 slain. The Quail, in its natural haunts, is difficult to watch. 

 When I kept some in an aviary they were peaceful enough, 

 never interfering with other inmates ; they were constantly 

 running about with the low double call, or dusting themselves 

 on the sandy floor. I doubt if the Quail is polygamous under 

 normal circumstances ; monogamy is general in England. 



The nest is a scratching in herbage, lined with dry grass ; 

 the eggs (Plate 154), seven to ten in number, are variable, the 

 ground being buff or yellowish, and the deep brown markings 

 either blotches, smears, or fine speckles. They are laid as a 

 rule late in May or in June. The young at first have buff and 

 yellow down and are streaked with black. 



The general colour of the old bird is sandy buff, blackish on 

 the back, but broadly streaked on the wings and flanks with 

 yellowish white ; the dark brown crown has a central buff stripe, 

 and is further set off by pale superciliary streaks. The male 

 has a double blackish brown collar, from the dark ear-coverts 

 to a brown stripe on the throat. The throat of the female is 



