THE QUAIL 227 
of the morning.” Not unfrequently, while performing their transit, 
they become weary, and alight on vessels, or fall into the sea, and 
are drowned. ‘ Being at a small town on the coast, in the month of 
May ’, says M. Pellicot, ‘I saw some boats come in with ten or a dozen 
sharks. They were all opened before me, and there was not one 
which had not from eight to twelve Quails ints body.’ ‘ Enormous 
flights are annually observed at the spring and fall, after crossing an 
immense surface of sea, to take a brief repose in the islands of Malta, 
Sicily, Sardinia, Crete, in the kingdom of Naples, and about Con- 
stantinople, where, on these occasions, there is a general shooting 
match, which lasts two or three days. This occurs always in the 
autumn. The birds, starting from the Crimea about seven at night, 
and with a northerly wind, before dawn accomplish a passage of 
above sixty leagues in breadth, and alight on the southern shore to 
feed and repose. In the vernal season the direction of the flight is 
reversed, and they arrive in similar condition on the Russian coast. 
The same phenomena occur in Malta, etc.’ } 
On its arrival, the Quail betakes itself to open plains and rich 
grassy meadows, especially where the soil is calcareous, and avoids 
woody countries. During the early part of summer it frequents 
cornfields, saintfoin, andlucern. In September it is found in stubble 
and clover fields, and among the weeds growing in dry ponds, or it 
finds shelter in any crops which may yet remain standing. In warm 
countries it resorts to vineyards, attracted, it is said, not so much 
by the grapes as by the numerous small snails with which the vines 
are then infested ; for the crops of the late birds are generally found 
filled with these molluscs. In locomotion it makes more use of its 
feet than its wings, and when put up is never induced to perch on a 
tree. - Its flight resembles in character that of the Partridge, but it 
rarely flies far, and when it alights makes awkward attempts to 
conceal itself, but often fails, and may sometimes be captured with 
the hand. In June or July, the female lays from eight to fourteen 
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, 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 maies. 
Quails inhabit the eastern continent, from China—where they 
1 Colonel C. H. Smith. 
