﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  363 
  

  

  with 
  chestnut 
  and 
  buff 
  down 
  and 
  are 
  ver}^ 
  expert 
  in 
  lying 
  concealed 
  among 
  

   the 
  grass 
  and 
  leaves 
  at 
  a 
  warning 
  note 
  from 
  their 
  mother. 
  A 
  second 
  brood 
  

   of 
  young 
  is 
  sometimes 
  reared 
  but 
  this 
  is 
  certainly 
  not 
  the 
  rule 
  in 
  our 
  latitude. 
  

   After 
  the 
  nesting 
  season 
  they 
  gather 
  in 
  coveys 
  of 
  12 
  to 
  30 
  birds 
  and 
  remain 
  

   in 
  company 
  till 
  the 
  following 
  spring. 
  The}?" 
  roost 
  upon 
  the 
  ground, 
  gathered 
  

   in 
  a 
  small 
  circle, 
  each 
  one 
  facing 
  outward, 
  and, 
  if 
  disturbed, 
  each 
  one 
  springs 
  

   upward 
  and 
  outward 
  with 
  a 
  startling 
  whirr, 
  all 
  going 
  in 
  different 
  directions, 
  

   so 
  that 
  the 
  enemy, 
  whether 
  it 
  be 
  cat 
  or 
  fox 
  or 
  owl 
  or 
  man, 
  is 
  so 
  dis- 
  

   concerted 
  that 
  their 
  escape 
  is 
  assured. 
  After 
  a 
  covey 
  has 
  been 
  flushed 
  

   they 
  usually 
  alight 
  again 
  within 
  20 
  or 
  30 
  rods, 
  and 
  its 
  scattered 
  members 
  

   begin 
  to 
  call 
  to 
  each 
  other, 
  especially 
  if 
  it 
  be 
  late 
  in 
  the 
  afternoon, 
  in 
  a 
  

   softly 
  whistled 
  quoi-ree, 
  quoi-ree, 
  tmtil 
  the 
  family 
  is 
  reunited. 
  I 
  have 
  

   often 
  followed 
  the 
  history 
  of 
  a 
  covey 
  of 
  bobwhites 
  through 
  the 
  winter 
  as 
  

   told 
  by 
  their 
  tracks 
  in 
  the 
  snow. 
  As 
  weeks 
  advance 
  their 
  numbers 
  gradu- 
  

   ally 
  decrease, 
  and 
  their 
  roosting 
  spot 
  is 
  often 
  changed, 
  to 
  escape 
  from 
  some 
  

   wandering 
  cat, 
  or 
  hovering 
  owl 
  which 
  has 
  discovered 
  their 
  retreat. 
  Some- 
  

   times 
  a 
  Cooper 
  hawk, 
  or 
  a 
  Goshawk, 
  remains 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  and 
  takes 
  his 
  

   toll 
  from 
  the 
  flock 
  whenever 
  they 
  venture 
  from 
  the 
  thick 
  coverts 
  for 
  the 
  

   food 
  which 
  becomes 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  necessary 
  as 
  the 
  cold 
  and 
  snows 
  of 
  

   winter 
  oppress 
  them. 
  Those 
  coveys 
  which 
  winter 
  in 
  swamps 
  where 
  there 
  

   is 
  shelter 
  in 
  the 
  tall 
  grass 
  from 
  the 
  snow 
  and 
  sleet, 
  and 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  less 
  

   liable 
  to 
  be 
  crusted 
  over, 
  usually 
  survive 
  the 
  best, 
  but 
  the}^ 
  are 
  running 
  

   the 
  risk 
  of 
  wholesale 
  slaughter 
  by 
  minks 
  and 
  weasels 
  if 
  discovered. 
  In 
  a 
  

   well 
  cultivated 
  country 
  the 
  quail 
  have 
  great 
  difficulty 
  in 
  finding 
  food 
  when 
  

   the 
  ground 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  snow, 
  and 
  I 
  have 
  often 
  seen 
  the 
  bevy 
  reduced 
  

   to 
  the 
  necessity 
  of 
  feeding 
  on 
  the 
  seeds 
  of 
  milkweed, 
  burdock, 
  and 
  an 
  

   occasional 
  ragweed. 
  When 
  the 
  ground 
  is 
  uncovered 
  they 
  pick 
  up 
  waste 
  

   grain 
  of 
  all 
  kinds, 
  wild 
  pease, 
  trefoil, 
  smart 
  weed, 
  sunflower, 
  beech 
  nuts, 
  

   small 
  acorns 
  and 
  small 
  weed 
  seeds 
  of 
  all 
  kinds. 
  They 
  also 
  partake 
  of 
  

   wintergreen, 
  viburnum 
  berries, 
  and 
  wild 
  grapes. 
  After 
  reading 
  the 
  history 
  

   of 
  their 
  dangers 
  and 
  hardships 
  in 
  the 
  snow, 
  one 
  feels 
  less 
  inclined 
  to 
  hunt 
  

   the 
  Bobwhite 
  for 
  the 
  table, 
  although 
  he 
  surely 
  is 
  as 
  delicious 
  a 
  morsel 
  as 
  

   any 
  in 
  the 
  list 
  of 
  our 
  game 
  birds. 
  

  

  