128 PHASIANID^. 



familiar with the long cloth- covered cages, with a feeding- 

 trough in front, exposed in the shops of the principal poul- 

 terers. The greater portion of these are niales, which are 

 the first to arrive, and advantage is taken of this circunistance 

 by the bird-catchers, who decoy hundreds into their nets by 

 imitating the call-note of the female. It has been stated that 

 in the small island of Capri in the bay of Naples, 160,000 have 

 been netted in a single season, and even larger numbers are 

 on record. On their first arrival they seem much fatigued, 

 and during their passage they have frequently been known 

 to rest upon sailing-vessels. Canon Tristram, in his ' Natural 

 History of the Bible,' pp. 230-233, says that in Algeria, in 

 the month of April, he found the ground covered with Quails 

 for an extent of many acres at daybreak, where on the 

 preceding afternoon there had not been one, and they scarcely 

 moved until almost trodden on ; and in Palestine he caught 

 several with his hand ; one being actually crushed by his 

 horse's foot. The Hebrew name " selav " — in Arabic " salwa" 

 — from a root signifying "to be fat," is very descriptive of 

 the round plump form and fat flesh of the Quail. Canon 

 Tristram considers that the period at which the Quails were 

 brought to the camp of the Israelites was on their northern 

 migration from Africa in April, when, according to their well- 

 known instinct, they would follow up the coast of the Red Sea 

 till they came to its bifurcation with the Sinaitic Peninsula, 

 and then, with a favouring wind, would cross at the narrow 

 part, resting near the shore before proceeding. 



It has been stated by many writers that the male Quail is 

 polygamous, and at times perhaps he may be so ; but, seeing 

 that Quails in early summer are usually found in pairs, and 

 that two adult birds are generally found in attendance on the 

 young brood, it appears probable that he is monogamous.* 

 He is exceedingly pugnacious with regard to others of his 

 own sex ; and also remarkably amorous, whence the French 

 proverbial expression, " .Chaud comme caille,'' which has 

 nothing whatever to do with any supposed stimulating pro- 



* Such is the distinctly expressed opinion of such practical observers as 

 Thompson, Macgillivray, Gould, and of many living authorities. 



