THE POULTRY KIND. 171 



tures ; the south wind being very unfavourable, 

 as it retards their flight by moistening their plu- 

 mage. They then fly two by two, continuing, 

 when the way lies over land, to go faster by 

 night than by day, and to fly very high, to avoid 

 being surprised or set upon by birds of prey. 

 However, it still remains a doubt whether quails 

 take such long journeys as Bellonius has made 

 them perform. It is now asserted by some, that 

 the quail only migrates from one province of a 

 country to another. For instance, in England 

 they fly from the inland counties to those bor- 

 dering on the sea, and continue there all the 

 winter. If frost or snow drive them out of the 

 stubble fields or marshes, they then retreat to the 

 sea-side, shelter themselves among the weeds, 

 and live upon what is thrown up from the sea 

 upon shore. Particularly in Essex, the time of 

 their appearance upon the coasts of that country 

 exactly coincides with their disappearance from 

 the more internal parts of the kingdom ; so that 

 what has been said of their long flights, is proba- 

 bly not so well founded as is generally supposed. 

 These birds are much less prolific than the par- 

 tridge, seldom laying more than six or seven 

 whitish eggs, marked with ragged rust-coloured 

 spots. But their ardour in courtship yields scarce- 

 ly to any other bird, as they are fierce and cruel 

 at that season to each other, fighting most des- 

 perately, and (a punishment they richly deserve) 

 being at that time very easily taken. Quail- 

 fighting was a favourite amusement among the 

 Athenians : they abstained from the flesh of this 



