THE COMMON QUAIL. 371 



eggs in a hole in the ground, and brings up her young 

 without the assistance of the male. Towards the end 

 of August the old birds migrate southwards, and are 

 followed by the young. Before the end of October all 

 have disappeared, though instances have occurred of their 

 being shot during winter, especially in seasons when the 

 harvest has been a late one. 



The flesh of the Quail is considered a great delicacy, 

 and many thousands are caught in France, and imported 

 to the London markets, for the table. They are placed in 

 low flat cages, scarcely exceeding in height the stature of 

 the bird, for the reason that in confinement, the birds, 

 in their effort to escape, would beat themselves against the 

 upper bars, and destroy themselves. These are said to be 

 all old males. 



Quails inhabit the eastern continent, from China — where 

 they are said to be carried about in winter by the natives, 

 to keep their hands warm — ^to the British Isles. With us 

 they are nowhere plentiful, but are occasionally shot by 

 sportsmen in most parts of the country. In cornfields, on 

 the shores of Belfast Lough, in the north of Ireland, they 

 are of frequent occurrence. 



THE ANDALUSIAN HEMIPODE. 



HEMIPODIUS TACHYDROMUS. 



Head dusky brown, witli three longitudiBal bands of reddish yellow; throat 

 white ; neck and breast rust-red, the feathers on the side yellowish with a 

 black spot ; belly white ; back mottled with black and rust-red ; scapiilars 

 barred with black and rufous ; wing-coverts yellowish, spotted with rust-red 

 and black; quills dusky, edged with duU white. Length six inches. Eggs 

 unknown. 



A NATIVE of Sicily and Spain, and occurring sometimes as 

 a straggler in the plains of Languedoc, where it is known 

 as the Turnix. It is a small bird, resembling the Quail 

 both in size and plumage, but well distinguished by the 

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