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QUAIL SHOOTING, Le 
territory for their dwelling place absolutely boundless, 
where they can wander at their own sweet will. 
The selection of her nesting-place is made with great 
caution and care. She finds some quiet, secluded spot 
hidden from the eyes of man and prying boys, trying if 
possible, to keep her tiny nest and little ones hid from 
the cruel hawk, the prowling skunk, or the night-wan- 
dering and ghostly owl. The deep recesses of an old 
fence, where black-berry bushes twine affectionately 
around the decayed rails, or boards, are to her liking; 
bunches of grass, the warm sheltered and protecting 
hedges, offer to her inviting places to build her nest, 
to lay her eggs, to incubate, and to rear her young. 
This she is ready to do the latter part of May, at times 
earlier, depending on the season —instinct teaches her 
the proper time. 
The eggs laid vary in number from one dozen to two 
dozen. The period of hatching is about four weeks. 
When the little ones are brought into the world they 
are filled with life, and are ready to start out on a voy- 
age of discovery. About the first thing they do is to 
engage in a foot race, and this they do to the great de- 
spair of their fond mother, who with tender entreaty 
and a great deal of running manages to keep them to- 
gether. Happy family are they ; proud mother is she. 
The father bears his honors graciously. I have often 
seen this little family when hunting prairie-chicken. 
The dog would come to a point on a bunch of grass ; 
the cock would fly away; then the mother, loath to 
leave her young and tender brood to the mercies of an 
enemy, would fly a few yards, and with fluttering 
wings alight and hobble away; would feign serious in- 
jury that she might divert the attention of the hunter 
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