GAME-BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA 



On the wing it is easily distinguished from a true Quail ; 

 it looks much lighter in colour, and swerves very much more. 

 It does not fly far, and after one flight it will sometimes suffer 

 itself to be caught by a spaniel rather than get up a second 

 time. On rising, the true Quail gives a sharp cry of " Kree- 

 kree-kree," but the Button-Quail is quite silent. 



Like so many other South African birds, its time of migra- 

 tion depends on the abundance of its food and on the severity 

 of the cold weather. 



In February, 1907, my brother bought four of these little 

 Quail from a Dutch boy in Pretoria and sent them to me in 

 Potchefstroom ; they turned out to be three hens and one 

 cock, and in my large aviary they lived a retired existence 

 among some tall grass tiU the end of the following September, 

 and fed on small seeds and termites which were supplied 

 daily. 



About September I noticed that the cock and one of the 

 hens were very friendly and never far apart, so I moved them 

 into an aviary where there was more cover, and which was 

 only inhabited by a pair of Cut-throat Larks or Cape Long- 

 claws [Macronyx capensis). 



On the 3rd of October I noticed the pair of Button-Quail 

 in a state of great excitement ; a nest had been made in a 

 thick tuft of grass and the birds stood facing away from it, 

 throwing bits of dried grass over their heads in its direction. 

 The first egg was already in the nest. 



On the 5th of October the second egg was laid, and in 

 exactly twelve days the two extraordinary little ones were 

 hatched. Never have I seen anything clothed in down quite 

 so small and yet capable of independent movement. They 

 looked no bigger than a good-sized humble-bee, and practically 

 from the day of hatching were as active as their parents, 



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