54 GALLING. 



poachers, who are well acquainted with their cries, and dex- 

 terous in catching them ; but, during the day, the birds are 

 as silent as they are still. Those which do migrate to Britain, 

 which are very few as compared with the continental migrants, 

 usually come about the end of April Their long flights are 

 understood to be performed during the night ; for though, like 

 the other gallinse, they feed in the morning and evening, they, 

 contrary to the practice of most of these, sleep at mid-day ; 

 indeed, during the greater part of the day. They squat at 

 these times, and do not " flush," or take wing, till a dog is 

 quite among them. The males are polygamous, and fight 

 desperately in the early part of tlie season, so much so that in 

 some countries they are trained in the same manner as game 

 cocks. The call-note of the male is a twice-repeated whistle, 

 and makes rather a pleasant variety among the many songs of 

 the active season. The response of the female is made use of 

 as a decoy-note in catching the males alive, though they will 

 come to the male call, as if it were a challenge to the fight. 

 Their nests, and the number of their eggs, are nearly the 

 same as those of partridges. Quails are very abundant on the 

 continent of Europe, and in most parts of Asia. In the 

 former, their summer migrations extend as far as Lapland ; 

 but in the latter, they do not reach the extreme north of 

 Siberia. They linger during the winter in more localities 

 than almost any other migratory birds ; but such is their pro- 

 ductiveness, that they return even to the north of Africa in 

 vast flocks, though very many of them are captured in the 

 places where they halt by the way. When at rest from 

 migrating, and not busied with the care of their broods, quails 

 get very fat, especially on pastures that afford them a plenti- 

 ful supply of oily seeds ; and when in good condition, they 

 are highly esteemed as food. Their straggling appearance, 

 however, and their short stay, render them less interesting to 

 ordinary observers of British birds, than those genera which 



