348 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 
utterance, bobwhite, may be heard about the farms, 
particularly in the morning hours, and bobwhite has 
come into use to designate the bird itself. Sometimes 
the call is uttered with a short introductory note, and 
these, with a few alarm calls, or calls of inquiry when 
the birds have become scattered, seem to be about all 
the vocal means of communication which these birds 
have. 
In many parts of the South, where the quail are in 
greater abundance, their sweet notes may be heard in 
many directions, at many distances, in the early morn- 
ing and evening hours. These calls work great harm 
to it, for by them the shooter learns the whereabouts 
of all the birds in his neighborhood, and locates the 
haunts of every bevy. , In the fall, the rallying cry 
often serves to inform the sportsman as to the best 
course for the morning’s hunt. In the South the quail 
is called partridge. 
In the fall, when the shooting opens, the quail soon 
learns of the gunning dangers, and its habits thereupon 
change quickly to conform to a life of greater safety, 
though it will run many risks to be near an abundance 
of food. However, when danger is impending, it 
avoids the open much more than when danger is not, 
and is more alert, quicker to suspect mankind, and 
quicker to take alarm. 
When spring returns, the quail seem to lose their 
fears of man, and they breed with little reference to 
concealment from him. Their confidence is unimpaired 
