28 Mr. D. Seth-Smith,


Mr. Phillipps' aviary, but the hen did not sit. In 1889 Mr.

Phillipps secured another cock bird, presumably a survivor of the

importation of 1886. He writes me " they were very tame nice

birds and I liked them very much. They would breed freely and

easily if given fair play."


In the autumn of last year Mr. Thorpe, the well-known

dealer at Hull, imported a few examples of this species, and I

secured a cock and two hens. They spent the winter in a warm

aviary, and were transferred to the larger outer aviary in April.

On the 23rd of May one of the hens commenced to sit on eleven

-eggs. The nest was made in some hay that had been thrown

down in a corner for the other birds in the aviary to build with.

The sitting bird would carefully draw the hay entirely over her

so that she was quite invisible. On June 8th she left the nest

with eight chicks — incubation having lasted sixteen days. I did

not expect the bird to hatch so soon and was away from home on

the eventful day, not returning until late in the evening. The

next morning I found the hen with six chicks only, and

subsequently discovered that she had led her brood into an

adjoining compartment of the aviary from which she had

returned with six only, the other two being unable to climb over

a wooden step separating the two compartments. This shows the

importance of being on the spot when any young ground birds

are hatched. Had I been at home that day I should have reared

a brood of eight young Harlequins ; as it was I had to be content

with six. They were perfectly easy to rear in the way I shall

presently describe.


On July 4th the same hen commenced to sit on a second

clutch of seven eggs of which she hatched six on the 19th, all of

which were reared.


The young quails were very precocious in their develop-

ment as will be seen from the following dates, which refer to the

first brood.


June 8. Hatched.


,, 18. Wing-feathers well grown, able to fly well.


July 2. Young males showing white face- markings.

,, 7. Rapidly assuming adult plumage.


Aug. 1. Young males in full adult plumage and inclined

to fight for the hens.



