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week or two of their lives; later, when they began to get their

quills, they were not so pretty. When first hatched they were

like downy balls of tawny plush with dark markings down their

heads and backs, and very bright dark eyes. They were very

adtive and very mischievous. Soon after they were hatched ten

of them determined to make an excursion to see the world, and

with a little struggling got through the £-inch wire netting round

their run. When it was found they had escaped a hunt took place,

and it took two hours to collect them all and put them safely

back. After this I fastened boards up all round the run, and so

stopped their exploring. Several young ones I lost through

drowning, for they persisted in getting into the water-pot, and

another time I should always use one of Mr. Jones’ patent

fountains with which there would be no fear of accidents. Some

of the other young ones died from exhaustion. At first I

allowed the grass in the run to grow long, thinking it would be

a nice shade from the sun, but finally I had it cut short, for the

chicks were always getting either lost or entangled in it, and

were picked up almost dead and quite unable to get back to

their mother. You may imagine how very wee the little creatures

were when I tell you that I brought three little ones into the house

to be revived all in the palm of one hand (and my hand is only a

small one as I know to my cost when trying to hold a large

bird). I held the three chicks to the fire, and gave them weak

brandy and water ; soon they could hold up their little heads and

open their eyes again, and finally tried to make themselves

comfortable by nestling up my sleeve. It is wonderful how

easily a young Quail collapses, and yet if found even just alive it

will soon revive with care and warmth.


The brood brought up by the Quails themselves were

brooded (out in the wire run) almost entirely by the old cock.

The poor fellow used to seem perfectly ashamed of himself if

caught in the act and always looked as if he wished I would

look another way. He would sit with his feathers fluffed out,

and first a tiny head would peep out under one of his wings, and

then another from somewhere else. The hen would sit beside

her husband, but chiefly to see that he did his duty properly.

She rarely ever brooded the young ones herself. It was on June

the 12th that I put the eggs under the first Bantam, and by

September 20th they were entirely independent of her. Their

crests had begun to show some time before, and now began

to curl and divide. They varied very much in shape; in

some the crests curled forward, in others backward, in each case



