QUAIL-SHOOTING IN THE WEST. 91 



one of the pleasantest things that strike the ear in 

 the fields in spring-time. They pair with us about 

 the first of May. I have seen them together in 

 bevies as late as, or later than, the middle of April. 

 They build their nests along the hedges and near 

 old fences overgrown with brush and brambles. 

 They resort but little to the groves of timber 

 for breeding purposes, avoiding them, I think, on 

 account of egg-sucking vermin, such as skunks and 

 crows. Crows are bold, cunning, and persistent 

 robbers of the nests of other birds. Minks catch 

 the old hens on the nest, and raccoons do the 

 same. But the most destructive and* inveterate 

 enemy the quail has is the little hawk, called 

 with us the quail-hawk. This little bird of prey 

 is but a trifle larger than a quail himself, but it 

 is very fierce and strong, swift on the wing, and 

 darts upon its prey with electric speed. The nest 

 of the quail is round, nicely constructed of small 

 twigs, and lined with dead grass. I have seen 

 statements to the effect that they are covered 

 over on the top. I have found hundreds of them, 

 and never saw one that was. The hen lays from 

 twelve to fifteen eggs, but two hens sometimes 

 lay in one nest, and I have seen one in which 

 there were no less than thirty eggs. The hen- 



