sometimes running— sometimes flying— stopping a moment here— a moment there— calling at the top of his 

 voice for his mate, in that peculiar tone which denotes distress. His unanswered cry soon told the tale 

 —some accident— some ruthless Hawk— some sneaking Cat, or some other enemy had captured and de- 

 stroyed his faithful companion. He kept up his call several hours, sometimes coming close after me, 

 making a low, cMttering noise, as if suspicious something could be told— that I could tell where his love 

 had gone. Far from it, I was also in search — in search of any thing to give a clue to the unfeeling 

 wretch that had done the bloody deed. I was excited, and would have executed the severest penalty 

 known, if the guilty one could have been found. I had been to the nest several times, with merely the 

 thought she might be testing the affection of her lord, or playing him a practical joke; but no, the eggs 

 were bare. About noon of that day, he ceased his noise, and, hoping his mate had returned, I hastened 

 to the nest again; but in this again disapjoointed. The reason, however, for his stillness was explained. 

 He was on the eggs, keeping life in the prospective family. Eor several days he left his charge fre- 

 quently, to make further search and call for the missing partner. One morning I stopped as usual to 

 see how the little widower was getting along, and found nothing but a huddle of egg shells. Every egg 

 had been hatched. Not far from the nest I heard a low chit-cMt-cMt, and soon discovered Bob with his 

 brood. He continued to care for the young, as I can testify from our frequent meetings, and reared a 

 fine large covey, Avhich received protection and sympathy, during the following winter, of all the farm 

 hands and sportsmen who knew him and his well-behaved family. 



Quail are not strictly granivorous in their notions of diet. In autumn and winter, they subsist 

 chiefly upon grain, berries, grapes, black haws, and seeds of weeds and vines. But in the spring and 

 early summer, their food is almost exclusively composed of ants, bugs, and other insects. While lienry 

 William Herbert justly extols the benefits the agriculturist deinves from the consumption of weed-seed 

 by these birds, he omits to give them credit for their insectivorous qualities. He says: "When it is 

 taken into consideration that each individual Quail consumes daily nearly two gills of Aveed-seed, it will 

 be at once evident that a few bevies of these little birds, carefully and assiduously preserved on a farm, 

 will do more toward keeping it free of weeds, than the daily annual labor of a dozen farm servants." 

 With the indorsement of the above it is highly important to add, that a few coveys carefully preserved 

 would protect the farmer against the ravages of many destructive insects, which are by far greater pests 

 and more to be feared than the ragwort, the dock, or the brier. As an insect exterminator, the Quail may 

 be placed in the front ranks of our native loirds. I examined the crop of one that was killed by flying 

 against a Avliite house, having been frightened from a potato-patch near by, which contained seventy-five 

 potato-bugs. This is only one of many instances illustrating the practical usefulness of these birds to 

 the farmer. 



Quail are pursued by man and beast and bird and reptile; but with a fair opportunity 

 and timely warning, they manifest a wonderful faculty of evading their foes. Excepting against the 

 pot-hunter, they arc provided Avith ample means for self preservation. lie Avho steals upon them 

 while enjoying the sunshine by the side of some old log or stump or fence-corner, all seated in a space 

 less than the circumference of a half bushel measure, or even closer on a cold Avinter-clay, and betrays 

 their confidence by firing upon them in this unsuspecting attitude, filling his bag with the dead, and 

 marching off, having the brand of '' sneak thief " upon his brow, is a pot-hunter. He, too, who 

 Avitli a show of indiiference, rides about, pretending to be overseeing his own affairs, Avhistling around 

 and around, until the poor unsuspecting birds, in order to get out of his way, unconsciously walk into the 

 net prepared for them, and as a reward for their confiding friendship, triumphantly pinches their heads, is 

 a pot-hunter. Against such they have no protection. When these birds have Avarning of danger and 

 Avish to evade detection, or Avhen closely pursued, they Avill conceal themselves against the observation 

 of their foes in the most magical manner ; and if satisfied they are unobserved, Avill not move some- 

 times until they have sutfered themselves to be captured on the spot. It is quite amusing to Avitness 



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