Class II. QUAIL. 307 



with a long pale yellow line, and on their sides 

 with ferruginous and black bars ; the coverts of 

 the wings are reddish brown, elegantly barred 

 with paler lines bounded on each side with 

 black. The exterior side of the first quil fea- 

 thers is white, of the others dusky spotted with 

 red; the tail consists of twelve short feathers 

 barred with black and very pale brownish red : 

 the legs are of a pale hue. 



Quails are found in most parts of Great Bri- 

 tain, but not in any quantity : they are birds 

 of passage ; some entirely quitting our island, 

 others shifting their quarters. A gentleman, to 

 whom this work lies under great obligations for 

 his frequent assistance, has assured us, that 

 these birds migrate out of the neighbouring in- 

 land counties, into the hundreds of Esse.v, m 

 October, and continue there all the winter : if 

 frost or snow drive them out of the stubble 

 fields and marshes, they retreat to the sea-side, 

 shelter themselves among the weeds, and live 

 upon what they can pick up from the algce, &c. 

 between high and loAv water mark. Our friend 

 remarks, that the time of their appearance in 

 Essex, coincides with that of their leaving the 

 inland counties ; the same observation has been 

 made in Hampshire. 



These birds are much less prolific than the 



