QCAIL. 87 



QUAIL. 



History. — This brave little bird is dead game, and may 

 be found all over the southern and western portions of 

 Ontario, from Niagara to Windsor. In its nature and 

 manner of living, it somewhat resembles the ruffed grouse. 

 Quail pair in May, hatch in June, July, August, and even 

 in September, and frequently breed twice a year. The 

 number of eggs usually laid by the female is from four- 

 teen to eighteen. Much wet weather during the hatching 

 season is unfavourable to the young ; the bevies are al- 

 ways small after a wet season, and on the contrary large 

 and strong, if the season be dry. Quail seem to multiply 

 as they are found in new districts in considerable num- 

 bers, where a few years ago there were none. Every five 

 or six years they suffer very considerably by hard winters, 

 and once in about ten years the greater part of them per- 

 ish by the quantity of snow and severity of the winter ; 

 but if the following spring and early summer should prove 

 to be dry, the few, that are left, multiply rapidly as the 

 bevies in the autumn will be found to contain from eigh- 

 teen to twenty birds, exclusive of the old ones, but the 

 usual number is fourteen. Whenever we have a very mild 



