

VIRGINIAN COLIN. 395 



whistled a similar note in answer ; the bird was deceived 

 by the imitation, and came so close up to him that he 

 killed it with a stone. 



A correspondent, residing in Staffordshire, thus describes 

 in the Magazine of Natural History the habits of the Ortyx 

 Virginiana in confinement : " A few years ago I pur- 

 chased two brace of these elegant little birds from Mr. 

 Cross, of Exeter Change, London, and brought them home 

 with me in the coach. I have a small garden, walled 

 round, and covered over with wire, into which I turned 

 them, but each separated from the other by a wire par- 

 tition. Towards the latter end of May, I perceived one of 

 the cock birds carrying straws, and twisting them about 

 over his head ; and I found they were making a nest with- 

 in a bundle of pea- sticks, which were placed in the garden 

 for them to run under and hide themselves. This nest was 

 the joint production of male and female ; it was placed on 

 the ground within the pea-sticks, and shaped much like a 

 Wren's, with a hole on one side, and covered over at top. 

 After the hen had laid about twelve eggs she began to sit, 

 and with as much assiduity as our common hen. When I 

 thought it was her time to hatch, I examined her nest, and 

 found it deserted, and the egg-shells, which had evidently 

 contained young birds, lying about. Much pleased with 

 this circumstance, I went cautiously about to find the dam 

 with her little ones ; and, after searching a considerable 

 time, the first intimation I had of her presence was from 

 her flying in my face with great agitation, like our common 

 hen. I retired much gratified, and observed the young 

 ones, nine in number, collect again under the wings of their 

 mother. The assiduity of this excellent parent was truly 

 exemplary, and her attention unremitting, and she reared 

 them every one with very little trouble. What is very 



