BOB-WHITE. 25 



Atlantic and Western States, and even penetrating into Mexico, 

 is scarcely ever a bird of passage ; it only assembles in single 

 families, which may sometimes be reduced to four or five by 

 accidents, and at others increased to twenty or thirty. The 

 instinctive sociability of this bird continues uniformly, until 

 interrupted in the spring by the desire of pairmg. At this 

 season the eager call of the male is often heard, but it nearly 

 ceases when he is mated, and is only long continued by those 

 who are dissatisfied and have been unsuccessful in their con- 

 nections ; and by imitating the reply of the female, the male 

 is easily decoyed to approach towards the enemy who thus 

 allures him. On these occasions, when the rival candidates 

 happen to meet, they exhibit, the only time in their lives, a 

 quarrelsome disposition, fighting with obstinacy, until the con- 

 tented victor at last gains the field with his submissive mate. 

 The conjugal selection being now concluded, they are not 

 exceeded by any of the feathered race in their mutual attach- 

 ment and common affection for their brood. In the vagrant 

 Quail, the want of reciprocal and durable attachment gives rise 

 to a wholly different character in instinctive morality, a com- 

 mon concubinage prevailing among them, as with our Cow 

 Troopials. Instead of the mild sociability so prevalent with 

 our Partridge, they are pugnacious to a proverb : " As quarrel- 

 some as Quails in a cage," was an ancient reproof to striving 

 children. Their selfishness forbids all mutual alliance, and they 

 only find safety from each other in roaming solitude. 



Partridges are not partial to the depths of the forest, though 

 they sometimes seek the shelter of trees, and perch on the 

 low branches or hide amongst the brush and underwood. 

 Their favorite food, however, commonly conducts them to 

 the open fields, where they glean up various kinds of grain, 

 and are particularly fond of rye and buckwheat, as well as 

 Indian corn ; and when not too much disturbed by the sports- 

 man, will often, particularly in the autumn and winter, fearlessly 

 assemble along the most public roads, or around the barn 

 and stable, in search of a scanty pittance among the domes- 

 tic fowls ; like them, also, very industriously scratching up 



