THE QUAIL. 41 



Quails are birds of undaunted courage ; and their quarrels 

 often terminate in mutual destruction. This irascible disposition 

 induced the ancient Greeks and Romans to fight them with each 

 other, as the moderns do game cocks. And such favourites 

 were the conquerors, that, in one instance, Augustus punished a 

 prefect of Egypt with death, for bringing to his table one of 

 these birds which had acquired celebrity for ite victories. 



