14 The Partridge Family 



this, the reader is hereby solemnly warned against 

 touching the eggs or meddling in any way with 

 the nest. Strange as it may appear, the hen can 

 tell if her home has been invaded, and an imme- 

 diate desertion of it is liable to follow, even though 

 the eggs be almost hatched. When a nest has 

 been accidentally disturbed, the eggs had better be 

 taken than suffered to spoil. They are excellent 

 eating, but a wiser disposition would be to place 

 them under a bantam hen and have her raise the 

 brood. The period of incubation is about twenty- 

 four days; and providing the foster-mother be made 

 to perform her duties within a suitable enclosure, 

 the young may be raised without any great trouble. 

 Only a close pen or a wire netting of small mesh 

 will confine the active things until they have 

 become sufHciently tame to be trusted. 



My first attempt at rearing young quail ended 

 in an awful tragedy. Five fresh eggs had been 

 found and were placed under a reliable game ban- 

 tam. A suitable netting was erected about the 

 nest, and in due time five young quail made their 

 appearance. They were transferred to a net- 

 guarded grass run which included two large ant- 

 hills. In a week the youngsters had become 

 quite tame, whereupon a misguided but well- 

 meaning person concluded to do a kindly act — 

 in other words, meddle — and turned them loose. 

 The bantam mother led them to the poultry 



