The Quail 15 



yard, which was presided over by a mighty light 

 brahma cock. Now the bantam was game, and 

 when the larger hens, who had forgotten her dur- 

 ing the enforced absence, gave her stony stares, 

 or, it may be, questioned the strict legitimacy of 

 her curious progeny, she declared war. While 

 she was battling against heavy odds, the fool 

 brahma cock spied the tiny quail, which he calmly 

 devoured. As the wee legs of the last one were 

 disappearing, a slightly delayed but impetuous 

 brickbat hit the brahma. He literally met his 

 end gamely, but as he happened to be worth 

 twenty-five dollars, a certain youthful naturalist 

 took his meals standing up and slept on his 

 stomach for at least one week. This sad experi- 

 ence, however, need not deter others from rearing 

 quail. In suitable runs the birds will breed and 

 prove most interesting pets. 



In the natural state the male bird takes an 

 occasional turn at covering the eggs. Young 

 quail are extraordinarily active, being able to 

 run as soon as they escape from the shell. They 

 are exceedingly pretty, the upper parts a rich chest- 

 nut with buff below, the heads chestnut and buff 

 with a dark line behind the eye, another on the 

 forehead, and a spot at the angle of the mouth. 

 When once the young have left the nest they are 

 led by the parents to the best feeding-ground, and 

 the spot of their birth knows them no more. 



