Bob-white 237 



them. As they walk, they bob their heads in 

 a funny manner of their own. They are bluish, 

 fawn-coloured birds about a foot long. The 

 male has some exquisite metallic colours on 

 his neck, othen\ase he resembles his best be- 

 loved. Both wear black crescent patches on 

 their cheeks. All the feathers on their long, 

 pointed tails, except the two largest central 

 ones, have a narrow, black band across the end 

 and are tipped with white. The breast feathers 

 shade from pinkish fawn to pale buff below. 

 Beautiful birds these, in spite of their quiet, 

 Quaker clothes. 



BOB-WHITE 



Called Also: *' Quatl-on-Toast*'; Partridge 



What a cheerful contrast is Bob White's 

 clear, staccato whistle to the drawHng coo of 

 the amorous dove! Character is often ex- 

 pressed in a bird's voice as well as in ours. 

 From their voices alone you might guess that 

 the dove and the quail are no relation. They 

 do not belong even to the same order, bob- 

 white being a scratching bird and having the 

 ruffed grouse and barnyard chicken for his kin. 

 Pheasants and turkeys are distantly related. 

 In the South people call him a partridge; in 



