THE QUAIL 219 



stuffed half full of horsehair, and at the end of it is to be 

 placed a small whistle made of the bone of a rabbit's leg, 

 or some such bone — this is to be about two inches long 

 and the end formed like flageolet, with a little soft wax. 

 This is to be the end fastened into the purse, the other 

 is to be closed up with the same wax, only that a hole is 

 to be opened with a pin, to make it give a distinct and 

 clear sound. To make this sound, it is to be held in the 

 palm of the hand, with one of the fingers placed over the 

 top of the wax ; then the purse is to be pressed, and the 

 finger is to shake over the middle of it to modulate the 

 sound it gives into a sort of shake. This is the most 

 useful call, for it imitates the note of the hen quail, and 

 seldom fails to bring a cock to the net, if there be one 

 near the place. The call that imitates the note of the 

 cock, and is used to bring the hen to him, is to be about 

 four inches long, and about one inch thick. It is to be 

 made of a piece of wire turned round and coiled, and 

 covered with leather. One end must be closed with a 

 piece of flat wood, about the middle of which there must 

 be a small thread, or strap of leather, and at the other 

 end the same sort of pipe made of bone as is used in the 

 other call. The noise is made by opening and closing 

 the spiral, and it gives the same sound that the cock 

 does when he gives the hen a signal that he is near 

 her." 



By far the greater number of quail which find their 

 way to the European markets are netted or snared on the 



