190 SPORT IN EUROPE 



The use of lighted torches in attracting game is mentioned by 

 Xenophon, and this stratagem is still practised by the peasants of 

 Maina (the extreme southerly point of the Peloponnesus) as well as 

 in the island of Cerigo, where the quails fall in myriads after their 

 over-sea flight from the north of Africa. In many instances they 

 alight on the land so exhausted that they are easily caught in nets, 

 and then fattened for the market. 



Generally speaking, wherever tongues of land project into the 

 sea, it is almost certain to find that quails and other migratory 

 birds have broken their journey and are resting there. But some 

 of the best quail shooting will be found about Port Lero, in Mitylene ; 

 also at Kos, Amororos, Tenos, Thasos, and as far north as Malakasi 

 and Salonica. 



Another remarkable phenomenon, not satisfactorily explained so 

 far, is that the winds which seem to favour most the presence of 

 migratory birds are those blowing in a direction contrary to their 

 route. Such at least is the experience among local sportsmen 

 in Greece, who eagerly scan the weather when bent upon a shooting 

 expedition. 



The first bird to make its appearance, as a herald of the ap- 

 proaching invasion, is the landrail, preceding the quail by ten clays 



to a fortnight ; and it is for this reason aptly nick- 



L^3,iiclr3,ils 



' named by the French of the south, le Roi des cailles. 

 etc. ^ 



Upon the wake of these there follow in quick succession 

 countless hosts of woodcock, snipe, moorhen, plover (green and 

 golden), sand-grouse, as well as lesser bustard in smaller flocks. (Of 

 the wild fowl, specially so called, I shall speak presently.) As they 



