5o6 QUAIL. 



in the Outer Hebrides, and not infrequently in the south-west of 

 the mainland. 



In summer the Quail is found in the Faeroes, and, though sparingly, 

 as far north as lat. 65° on the Continent, while southwards it becomes 

 more abundant, and immense flocks annually visit the countries 

 bordering on the Mediterranean ; especially on the spring migration, 

 when, as of old in Sinai, multitudes come up in the night and cover 

 the land. The majority pass northwards, though many remain to 

 breed ; in autumn, on the other hand, a considerable number sojourn 

 in the south of Europe and the north of Africa, though the majority 

 go further^ and many reach Madagascar, Mauritius and the extreme 

 south of Africa. There, as well as in the Cape Verde Islands, the 

 Canaries, ]\Iadeira and Azores, a resident form {C. capensis) is found, 

 and with this our migratory bird often interbreeds. Our Quail is 

 widely distributed over temperate Asia, crossing the Karakoram 

 (16,000 ft.) and other ranges on its migrations ; while in Japan, 

 Formosa, China, Burma and the North-east of India it meets and 

 breeds with another resident form, C. japonicus. 



The nest — a mere hole scraped in the ground, lined with a few 

 plant-stalks — is often in a wheat-field, but sometimes in clover or 

 grass; and the eggs, 7-12 in number, are yellowish-white, blotched 

 or speckled with umber-brown : average measurements I'l by "9 in. 

 Incubation lasts about three weeks, and two broods, or "bevies" as 

 they are called, are sometimes reared in the season. The food 

 consists of slugs and insects, plantain, chickweed &c. — no less than 

 3,500 seeds of the latter having been found in the crop of a single 

 bird. The male utters three castanet-like notes, which is generally 

 rendered in this country by the words " wet-my-lips," while the call 

 of the female is a ■sohfeiu,fecV. As a rule the male is monogamous. 



In appearance the Quail resembles a miniature Partridge. The 

 male (in the foreground) is rather smaller than the female (in the 

 background), and has two dark brown bands descending from the 

 ear-coverts, terminating at the throat in a blackish patch which is 

 not acquired until the second year. Length of the female 7 in. ; 

 wing 4*4 in. 



Two examples of the Andalucian Hemipode, Turnix sylvatica, 

 are said to have been obtained in Oxfordshire, and a third in York- 

 shire. No one who knows how sedentary and local this species is, 

 will believe it to have been a genuine visitor. 



