478 THE ROCK OB BARBART PARTRIDGE. 



which are to lie fallow during the winter ; as, after having been 

 once roused, they remain in the place where they have alighted, 

 and may be taken up by hand. The sex can generally be deter- 

 tennined by the colour of the throat and breast ; but if they are 

 too young for this, the males may be distinguished, when brought 

 into the aviary, by their cry of Vivi, Vim! and by their song, 

 which they begin to practise. They are generally full fledged by 

 the end of September. 



Attractive Qualities. The Quail is a clean and lively bird \ 

 and creates amusement by the singular manner on which it walks 

 on tiptoe, with outstretched neck, and continually nodding its 

 head. Its cry, however, which is very peculiar, is its chief 

 recommendation. In pairing time it consists of the syllables 

 Verra, verra ! very softly uttered, followed by Pikvervik, pik- 

 vervik ! repeated with a loud voice, closed eyes, and a continual 

 nodding of the head. The oftener a bird utters the former of 

 these words, the seldomer does he pronounce the latter ; and a 

 Quail which repeats Pikvervik ! ten or a dozen times, is highly 

 prized. One in my possession, which is very valuable, usually 

 repeats it fifteen or eighteen times ; has often done so twenty-two 

 times, and once uttered it thirty times in succession. As the 

 Quail's call is chiefly heard in harvest time, the peasants interpret 

 it into Buck den Ruck / (Bend the Back) and consider it as an 

 exhortation to industry. The song of the female is merely 

 Verra, verra! and in pairing time Peu, peu ! Peupeu ! when 

 discontented or alarmed, they utter the syllables Ghillah; and 

 when pleased, a sound like the purring of a cat. If kept in such 

 a cage as is above described, they sing in the day time, whereas, 

 in a light room, they are rarely heard, except at night. The 

 Song birds begin to sing soon after Christmas, and continue to 

 do so till September ; those, however, which have been caught 

 when old do not commence their song till the beginning of May, 

 and cease singing at the end of August. 



187. THE EOCK OR BARBART PARTRIDGE. 



Perdix Saxatilis, BECH. Tetrao Rufus, LIN. Perdix Graeca, BRISSON 

 La Bortavelle, BUF. Das Seinhuhn, BECH. Greek Partridge, LATH. 



Description. This bird is larger than a Partridge, being 

 thirteen inches in length. The beak and feet are red ; the top 

 of the head, the neck, breast, and all the upper part of the 

 body are ashen grey, tinged with orange on the back and breast. 

 The cheeks and throat are white, encircled by a black streak, 

 which commences at the nostrils, and passes between the eyes. 

 The belly and vent are yellowish, the sides marked with 



