124 THE VIRGINIAN QUAIL OR PARTRIDGE. 



of brown, red, orange, grey and white. The head 

 is almost always crested. 



This bird is best known by the description of 

 Alexander Wilson. Audubon has also figured a 

 whole covey on one of his immense plates. It is a 

 general inhabitant of North America, from the nor- 

 thern parts of Canada and Nova Scotia, to the ex- 

 tremity of the peninsula of Florida. They become 

 very familiar, frequenting the vicinity of well culti- 

 vated plantations ; but when alarmed, seek shelter 

 in the woods, perching on the branches, or secreting 

 themselves among the brushwood. Where not too 

 much persecuted by the sportsman, they become al- 

 most half domesticated, approach the barn, particu- 

 larly in winter, and sometimes in that severe season, 

 mix with the poultry to glean up a subsistence. 

 Immense havock is at this season made among them 

 with the gun and by snares, and they are sold in the 

 markets from twelve to eighteen cents each. 



They begin to build early in May, and, according 

 to Wilson, the nest is made most carefully. It is form- 

 ed on the ground, usually at the bottom of a thick tuft 

 of grass, that shelters and conceals it ; the materials 

 are leaves and fine dry grass, in considerable quan- 

 tity ; it is well covered above, and an opening left 

 on one side for entrance. The female attends the 

 young when hatched with great care, and performs 

 the same part of counterfeiting lameness with our 

 own partridge. They have been frequently brought 

 up by placing the eggs under the common hen, and 



