382 UPLAND AND MEADOW. 



lying meadows and lialf the upland fields. Some of 

 the larger trees, now leafless, stretched out their bare 

 branches as though imploring help, their trunks being 

 fog-wrapped and hid from view. With it all, it rained. 



To keep up the habit of an early morning walk, and 

 to see if there was any life astir, I passed along the hill- 

 side and up the gully ; but the feeling slowly dawned 

 upon me, perhaps it was too stormy, and 1 had a longing 

 to make a short-cut across a field. Such weakness occa- 

 sionally attacks one, and I gave way sufficiently to take 

 a few steps in the field, when up sprang a covey of 

 quails, with a thrilling whirr of their wings. I was 

 fairly roused to action, and my walk commenced. 



Peter Kalm, when travelling in New Jersey, recorded, 

 under date of January, 1749, as follows : " These birds — 

 quails — are numerous in New Sweden, i. e., this part of 

 the country. On going but a little way, you meet with 

 great coveys of them. However, they keep at a great 

 distance from towns ; being either extirpated, or fright- 

 ened there by the frequent shooting." What Kalm said 

 of them then is equally true of them now ; but to show 

 how much they have had to contend with, I refer to the 

 "frequent shooting" he mentions, one hundred and 

 thirty-five years ago. Inasmuch as they have withstood 

 this persecution for so long a time, it is very easy to see 

 how readily this and other birds could be preserved in 

 thickly settled districts, were there wise legislation in 

 the matter. 



In three days it will be lawful to shoot these birds, 

 and, considering the number of sportsmen in every town, 

 it is a mystery how any of the quails escape. They 



