X . PREFACE. 



until evening, I frequently, about the same moment, heard from various 

 directions within about twelve acres* of wheat and oats, the calls of 

 six or seven quails, and presumed that so many pair were within that 

 space. A low hoarsely-guttural double note immediately preceded the 

 well-known call of wet-my-foot, from those which were very near to me. 



During the reaping of oats here on the 1st of September, two nests 

 of quails were found. In one were ten eggs, and in the other the same 

 number, with the addition of a young bird just hatched . On visiting 

 them a few days afterwards, the young were found to have escaped 

 from the former, the chipped shells being in the nest ; but the latter 

 was deserted, the young bird lying dead, and the eggs quite cold. 

 Another nest, with the young, one or two days " out," was found on 

 the 5th of September, within forty yards of the latter. The oats were 

 left standing around it for protection, though all the rest in the field 

 were cut. On my going to it in the evening the old bird rose from the 

 nest, in which the whole of the young (about ten or twelve in number) 

 were ; — when disturbed they ran nimbly away. The nest was com- 

 posed of grasses and wild mustard (Sinapis arvensis). In course of 

 wheat being reaped to-day in the lower portion of the same field, 

 another very young brood, similar in number to the last, was seen with 

 the old bird. The young from these four nests (three in oats and one 

 in wheat) would have been brought forth about the same day. All may, 

 I consider, be regarded as second broods, there having apparently been 

 nothing to prevent the first being brought to maturity. What are 

 beheved to be the secoud nests are annually discovered here when the 

 grain is being cut, which generally takes place in the month of August ; 

 — the present has been a very late season. The pair of old quails rose 

 from the site of each of the four nests before the reapers ; and a fifth 

 pair, having neither nest nor young, was sprung from the oats. These 

 birds were inhabiting an extent of grain covering about twenty-five acres. 



A man who has mown the early meadows (rye-grass and clover) here 



* The Cunningham or Scotch acre is meant throughout. 



