(126 HABITS OF BIRDS. 
says: “They put not themselves in their journey, 
nor set forward without a council called before, and 
a general consert. ‘They flie aloft, because they 
would have a better prospect to see before them; 
and for this purpose a captain they chuse to guide 
them, whom the rest follow. Inthe rereward behind 
there be certain of them set and disposed to give 
signal by their manner of cry, for to range orderly 
in ranks, and keep close together in array : and this 
they do by turns, each one in his course. They 
maintain a set watch all the night long, and have 
their sentinels. These stand on one foot, and 
hold alittle stone within the other, which, by falling 
from it if they should chance to sleep, might awa- 
ken them, and reprove them for their negligence. 
Whiles these watch, all the rest sleep, couching 
their heads under their wings; and one while they 
rest on the one foot and otherwhiles they shift to 
the other. The captain beareth up his head aloft 
into the air, and giveth signal to the rest what is to 
be done.” 
Authors also tell us that the quails have aking to 
conduct their migrations; and it is farther pretend- 
ed that they are shrewd enough not to select for a 
monarch one from their own body, but make choice 
of a landrail (Ortygometra Crex) ; for, upon coming 
to their place of destination, the first of the band 
usually falls a victim to some bird of prey that is 
waiting their arrival, and, foreseeing this, the quails 
contrive to provide a victim from another species. 
Such legends, as Buffon well remarks, by ascribing 
incredible sagacity and design to birds, give us good 
room to doubt whether the authors themselves pos- 
sess any great share. As the landrail, however, 
migrates about the same period with the quails, 
this is not quite so extravagant a notion as that re- 
corded by Aristotle, that the quails are led by an 
owl as their king. 
M. Vaillant remarks, that the idea of these king- 
