164 Bird Comrades 



the brush heaps, in which they are fond of taking refuge. 

 Skill and shrewdness are needed to catch them in this 

 way, and, perhaps, it cannot be done while they are shot 

 at so much and are made so shy; but the time will come 

 when the netting of quail will be regarded as rare sport 

 in America, as hawking or fox hunting is in England. 



When the birds are caught their heads should be 

 snipped off as you do those of domestic fowls, or in some 

 other way that is as painless as possible. According to 

 this plan not so many birds can be secured, it is true, 

 but it would be -well to let the quail become more abun- 

 dant in our country, for in certain seasons of the year 

 they destroy certain kinds of insects that do much harm 

 to the grain. Besides, they are such sweet and innocent 

 birds that all of us like to see them scuttling along by 

 the roadside, and listen to their musical calling in the 

 clover fields "Bob white! bob white!" Then, too, if they 

 were allowed to become tame and plentiful, we might 

 sometimes have the luxury of quail's eggs on our tables. 



