22 6 THE OPEN COUNTRY 



northern Africa they are often seen migrating in huge nocks. In both countries 

 they are used as food, and a large business is carried on in these birds, especially 

 in Capri, where a part of the episcopal revenue is derived from the results of the 

 quail trade. 



Africa is the principal winter-quarters of the European quails ; the Asiatic 

 birds crossing the Himalaya into India. Appearing in great crowds, they separate 

 soon after their arrival into smaller parties and return rather later than other 

 birds-of-passage. A quail's nest is seldom seen before midsummer, and most 

 of them are found towards the middle or even the end of July. The nest 

 is always well hidden, generally among field-plants, occasionally in meadow-grass 

 or standing corn. It is nothing but a slight hollow with little or no lining, and 

 contains from eight to twelve eggs which are buff or light brown blotched with 

 blackish brown. On leaving the eggs, the young run about at once. From the 

 first they are carefully taught by the old birds to find their own food, which 

 consists of the larvas and pupse of ants and other small insects. The old bird 

 scratches up ant-hills, feeds, and takes under her wings the young ones, which 

 grow so quickly that in the second week they begin to fly, and after eighteen days 

 are thoroughly fledged and full grown. Then the affection of the mother suddenly 

 cools, and they disperse and start on their journey south. 



Besides insects, the quail is fond of seeds and green plants, which it seeks on 

 the ground. It leaves its hiding-place at noonday to dust in the sand and bask in 

 the sun, and is most active at dawn and in the twilight, flying only in case of 

 necessity, and hiding rather than attempting to escape by flight ; or, when surprised 

 in the open field, pressing its body flat to the ground. Once on the wing a quail 

 flies swiftly enough, though not very far at a time, with a quick, whirring flight 

 about a yard from the ground, either straight on or in curves. In its walk every 

 step is accompanied by a nod of the head, and it has a peculiar habit of jumping 

 up into the air, when it usually draws its feet close to the body and looks almost 

 like a tiny ball. When agitated, it stands erect on the tips of its toes, stretching 

 out its neck to see what is going on ; and it will sometimes even walk in this 

 attitude. The male is quarrelsome, especially in spring, when he will fight till 

 death with a rival. In spring the well-known call, poot-put-put, is often heard ; and, 

 on account of this curious call, quails are often kept in houses as pets. The total 

 length of the quail does not exceed 7 inches ; it is sandy brown above, with dark 

 brown bars and buff shaft-stripes, the throat and breast, with the exception of the 

 black anchor in the males, being white, as is the eye-stripe. 



In the open fields of central Europe the birds - of - prey are 

 Hen-Harrier. r . r . i 



represented only by two species of harriers. Of these, the hen- 

 harrier (Circus cyaneus) constructs its nest on the ground, on heather and waste 

 lands, in standing corn, or among reeds and shrubs in large meadows, young 

 underwood and in the willows bordering a swamp. Dry twigs, potato-stalks, heather, 

 or wool, with a layer of long grass, may compose the nest, which is about 2 feet 

 wide and 5 inches high, and in May contains from four to six eggs. The young, 

 which in case of danger lie flat on the ground and make no sound, grow up into 

 unsociable birds which feed on insects, lizards, small mammals birds, and eggs. 



