Quail. 335 



Morres says it occurs occasionally, but rarely in the neighbour- 

 hood of Salisbury, and also near War minster. A single bird was 

 caught at Mere, in the yard of the Ship Inn, by Mr. J. Coward, 

 on April 11, 1874, having apparently taken refuge there from a 

 hawk. Two others were caught alive by some keepers, who were 

 driving the game in Clarendon Woods ; and again a brace were 

 killed at Holt, near Bradford-on-Avon, in the same field, though 

 with an interval of six years between their respective appear- 

 ances before the same sportsman. Mr. Grant also mentions a 

 specimen killed at Erlestoke in November, 1861, and thirteen 

 others from various districts in North Wilts. I have also several 

 instances from the neighbourhood of Marlborough, and other 

 instances will doubtless occur to many sportsmen, for, thanks to 

 the mistaken zeal with which their introduction to this country 

 has been conducted, they are by no means rare now. In France, 

 and indeed on the Continent generally, it is the Common 

 Partridge : Perdrix rouge in France, Rothe Feldhuhn in 

 Germany, Pernice commune in Italy, Perdiz in Spain and 

 Portugal. 



131. QUAIL (Perdix coturnix). 



Not many years since this diminutive but plump little 

 partridge was generally, though somewhat sparingly, scattered 

 over the down parishes in this neighbourhood in the summer, 

 but now it has become comparatively rare throughout the 

 county. One nest, however, was discovered at Yatesbury since 

 my incumbency in 1852 ; and I have notices of the bird's 

 occurrence of late years at Christian Malford in 1841 and 1845; 

 in the neighbourhood of Sutton Benger in 1847; at Langley in 

 1851; and at Erchfont in 1856; at Hilmarton and at Trafalgar; 

 at Chirton in 1860; Etchilhampton, 1863; Bishops Cannings, 

 1867; Potterne, Cheverel, Erlestoke, and Seend, 1868; Kowde, 

 All Cannings, Marden, 1871. The Rev. A. P. Morres reports 

 their appearance at Britford, Stratford Tony, and West Harnham, 

 near Salisbury ; at Holt, near Bradford, and at Mere ; and several 

 of these took place as late as the middle of December, which 



