380 
NORTHERN COLIN. 
during the latter season, and to the northern in 
the former : its flight is very irregular, but rapid. 
The female deposits from twenty-two to twenty- 
flve eggs, of a whitish colour, and lays twice in a 
year, the first time in May, the second in July ; 
the nest is only a few dry herbs, carelessly scraped 
together : the young remain with the parents, and 
the second brood nnites with the first in the au- 
tumn. They delight in bushy and woody situa- 
tions, and generally perch upon trees, contrary to 
the manners of either Partridges or Quails. Their 
principal nourishment consists of grains, but when 
there is a deficiency of them, they will eat buds, 
and the tender branches and shoots of trees and 
herbs : towards the winter they grow tame from de- 
ficiency of food, and flocks of several dozens come 
into farm-yards for the loose grain, or run before 
the traveller to pick it from the horse-dung on the 
road. 
Their note is a loud kind of whistle, somewhat 
resembling the words Jio-oui, the first pronounced 
long, and the other short : from this note they 
have received a similar name in Louisiana: and 
by the natives of New England they are called 
bob-white. Their flesh is very good, and much 
esteemed. 
