The Zoologist— April, 1867. 653 



There are some persons of such temper that when aught occurs to 

 put them out of humour they will sit apart in sulkiness, brooding over 

 conceived wrongs, perhaps refusing their food, but never spiting any 

 so much as themselves. Such a one was Benedick, of whom Beatrice 

 says : — 



" He'll but break a comparison or two on me, wliich peradventure not marked or 

 not laughed at, strikes him into melancholy. And then there's a partridge wing sav'd, 

 fur the fool will eat no supper that night." 



Much Ado About Nothing, Act ii. Scene 1. 



From all such, say we, heaven defend us ! 



Quail {Perdix colurnix). 



" Here's Agamemnon, an honest fellow enough, 

 And one that loves quails." 



Troilus and Cressida, Act v. Scene 3. 



Anciently it was the practice to keep quails and to make them fight 

 like game-cocks. Solon directed that quails should be made to fight 

 in the presence of the Athenian youths in order to inflame their 

 courage, and the Romans held quail-fighting in still higher estimation. 

 Augustus punished a prefect of Egypt with death for buying and 

 bringing to table a quail which had acquired celebrity by its victories. 

 (Vide Julius Pollux " De ludis," lib. ix). Even at present this sort of 

 amusement is common in some parts of Italy, and still more so in 

 China. In Italy they feed up two quails very highly, and then place 

 them opposite to each other at the end of a long table, throwing 

 between them a few grains of millet-seed to make them quarrel. At 

 first they merely threaten, lowering the head and ruffiing all the neck- 

 feathers, but at length they rush on furiously, striking with their bills, 

 erecting their heads, and rising upon their spurs, until one is forced 

 to yield. 



In ' Antony and Cleopatra, 1 Antonius says of Caesar : 



" His cocks do win the battle still of mine 

 When it is all to nought, and his quails ever 

 Beat mine inhoop'd at odds." 



" With Antonius there was a soothsayer or astronomer in Egypt 

 that coulde cast a figure and judge of men's nativities, to tell them 

 what should happen to them. He told Antonius plainly that his 



