VIRGINIAN COLIN. 351 



shot, were in beautiful plumage, and wlien preserved formed 

 a very interesting group. 



A correspondent, residing in StafFordsliire, tlius describes 

 in the Magazine of Natural History the habits of the Ortyx 

 Virgijiiana in confinement : — " A few years ago I purchased 

 two brace of these elegant little birds from Mr. Cross, of 

 Exeter Change, London, and brought them home with me 

 in the coach. I have a small garden, walled round, and 

 covered over with wire, into which I turned them, but each 

 separated from the other by a wire partition. Towards the 

 latter end of May, I perceived one of the cock birds carrying 

 straws, and twisting them about over his head ; and I found 

 they were making a nest within a bundle of pea-sticks, which 

 were placed in the garden for them to run under and hide 

 themselves. This nest was the joint production of male and 

 female ; it was placed on the ground within the pea-sticks, 

 and shaped much like a Wren''s, with a hole on one side, and 

 covered over at top. After the hen had laid about twelve 

 eggs she began to sit, and with as much assiduity as our 

 common hen. When I thought it was her time to hatch, I 

 examined her nest, and found it deserted, and the egg-shells, 

 Avhich had evidently contained young birds, lying about. 

 Much pleased with this circumstance, I went cautiously about 

 "to find the dam with her little ones ; and, after searching a 

 considerable time, the first intimation I had of her presence 

 was from her flying in my face with great agitation, like our 

 common hen. I retired much gratified, and observed the 

 young ones, nine in number, collect again under the wings 

 of their mother. The assiduity of this excellent parent was 

 truly exemplary, and her attention unremitting, and she 

 reared them every one with very little trouble. What is 

 very singular, there were eight cocks and but one hen, all of 

 whom were reared till they moulted, and got their adult 

 plumage ; when, from some cause which I could never ascer- 



