120 THE QUAIL. 



The Quail, on her part, has sometimes been employed 

 to hatch the eggs of the common domestic hen. A gen- 

 tleman says, that of several hen's eggs which he substitu- 

 ted in place of those of the Quail, she brought out the 

 whole ; and that for several weeks he occasionally surpri- 

 sed her in various parts of the plantation, with her brood 

 of chickens ; on which occasions she exhibited all that dis- 

 tressful alarm, and practised her usual manoeuvres for their 

 preservation. Even after they were considerably grown, 

 and larger than the Quail herself, she continued to lead 

 them about : but, though their notes, or call, were those 

 of common chickens, their manners had all the sh}-ness, 

 timidity, and alarm of young Quails ; running with great 

 rapidity, and squatting in the grass, exactly in the manner 

 of the Quail. Soon after this they disappeared, having 

 probably been destroyed by dogs, by the gun, or by birds 

 of prey. Whether the domestic fowl might not by this 

 method be very soon brought back to its original savage 

 state, a.id thereby supply another additional subject for 

 the amusement of the sportsmen, will scarcely admit of a 

 doubt. But the experiment, in order to secure its success, 

 would require to be made in a quarter of the country less 

 exposed than ours to the ravages of guns, traps, dogs, and 

 the deep snows of winter, that the new tribe might have 

 full time to become completely naturalized, and well fixed 

 in all their native habits. 



About the beginning of September, the Quails being now 

 nearly full grown, and associated in flocks, or coveys, of 

 from four or five to thirty, afford considerable sport to the 

 gunner. And, perhaps, of all the feathered tribe which 

 inhabit this country, none are persecuted with so much 

 untiring vigor, as this interesting little bird ; the delicacy 

 of its flesh, its domestic qualities, and source of profit, 

 seems to mark it for that destruction which continually 

 awaits it. 



Ranking high in our scale of game, and being univer- 



