AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 



37 



QUAIL, OR PARTRIDGE. 



PERDIX VIRGINIANUS. 



[Plate IV.— Male and Female.] 



Arct. Zool. 318, No. 185. — Catesb. App. p. 12. — Vir- 

 ginian Quail, TuET. Syst. p. 460. — Maryland Q. 

 Ibid. — Le Perdrix d'Jlmerique, Briss. i. 231. — Burp, 

 ii. 447. — Tetrao Virginianus, Linn. Syst. ed. 10, p. 

 161. T. Marilandicus, id. ih. — Perdix Virginiana, 

 Lath, Ind. Orn. p. 650. P. Marilanda, id. p. 651. — 

 Caille de la Louisiane, Buff. PL Enl. 149. — J. 

 Doughty's Collection. 



This well-known bird is a general inhabitant of North 

 America, from the Northern parts of Canada and Nova 

 Scotia, in which latter place it is said to be migratory, to the 

 extremity of tlie peninsula of Florida; and was seen in the 

 neighbourhood of the Great Osage village, in the interior of 

 Louisiana. They are numerous in Kentucky and Ohio; 

 Mr. Pennant remarks, that they have been lately intro- 

 duced into the island of Jamaica, where they appear to 

 tlirive greatly, breeding in that warm climate twice in the 

 year. Captain Henderson mentions them as being plenty 

 near the Balize, at the Bay of Honduras. They rarely fre- 

 quent the forest, and are most numerous in the vicinity 

 of well cultivated plantations, where grain is in plenty. 

 They, however, occasionally seek shelter in the woods, 

 perching on the branches, or secreting among the brush 

 wood; but are found most usualljr in open fields, or along 

 fences sheltered by thickets of briars. Where they are not 

 too much persecuted by the sportsmen, they become almost 

 half domesticated; approach the barn, particularly in win- 

 ter, and sometimes in that severe season mix with the poul- 

 try, to glean up a subsistence. They remain with us the 

 whole year, and often suffer extremely by long hard win- 

 ters, and deep snows. Indeed, it often happens that whole 

 cove}'-s are found frozen to death, or so extremely reduced, 

 as not possessing sufficient power to fly. An instance of 

 tliis kind occurred in the centre of the city of Philadelphia. 

 In the very severe winter of 1828, a quantity of rubbish 

 was removed from the large lot of ground at the corner of 

 Eleventh and Market streets, owned by S. Girard, esq. un- 

 der which a covey of Partridges was discovered in so weak 

 and famished a state, as to be taken by the hand. These 

 birds, it is supposed, were hatched in this lot the preceding 

 summer, as persons residing in that vicinity heard them 

 frequently whistling through the season. During these 

 protracted snows, the arts of man combine with the incle- 

 mency of the season for their destruction, and to the ravages 

 of the gun are added others of a more insidious kind. Traps 

 are placed on almost every plantation, in such places as 

 K 



they are known to frequent. These are formed of lath, 

 or thinly split sticks, somewhat in the shape of an obtuse 

 cone, laced together with cord, having a small hole at top, 

 with a sliding lid, to take out the game by. This is sup- 

 ported by the common figure 4 trigger, and grain is scat- 

 tered below, and leading to the place. By this contrivance 

 ten or fifteen have sometimes been taken at a time. But, 

 a more barbarous, and as equally successful a mode is em- 

 ployed by many to entrap them, by fixing snoods made of 

 horse hair across the paths and furrows of such fields, and 

 thickets, as are frequented by these birds, especially their 

 roosting grounds. This is done by driving into the ground 

 small stakes, about ten inches in length, and two inches 

 apart, to the distance of five or six feet, similar to a fence, 

 leaving the spaces where the snoods are suspended much 

 wider, and to the number, perhaps, of four or five. The 

 Partridges, in running the path, finds this impediment, and 

 attempt to pass through the wider spaces, and are caught 

 by the neck, where they often remain in this cruel and 

 most tormenting situation for days. These are sometimes 

 brought alive to market, and occasionally bought up by 

 sportsmen, who, if the season be very severe, sometimes 

 preserve and feed them till spring, when they are humanely 

 turned out to their native fields again, to be put to death, at 

 some future time, secundem artem. Between the months 

 of August and March, great numbers of these birds are 

 brought to the market of Philadelphia, where they are sold 

 from eight to eighteen cents a piece. 



The Quail begins to build early in May. The nest is 

 made on the ground, usually at the bottom of a thick tuft of 

 grass that shelters and conceals it. The materials are 

 leaves and fine dry grass, in considerable quantity. It is 

 well covered above, and an opening left on one side for en- 

 trance. The female lays from fifteen to twenty-four eggs, 

 of a pure white without any spots; and during the period 

 of incubation are remarkably tenacious of their nest, for 

 rather than forsake it, they will frequently sacrifice their 

 lives, and it is by no means an uncommon occurrence for 

 them to fall victims to the scythe. The time of incubation 

 has been stated to me by various persons at four weeks, 

 when the eggs were placed under the domestic hen. The 

 young leave the nest as soon as they are freed from the 

 shell, and are conducted about in search of food by the 

 female; are guided by her voice, which at that time resem- 

 bles the twittering of young chickens, and sheltered by her 

 wings, in the same manner as those of the domestic fowl; 

 but with all that secrecy and precaution for their safety, 

 which their helplessness and greater danger require. In 

 this situation, should the little timid family be unexpectedly 

 surprised, the utmost alarm and consternation instantly 

 prevail. Sometimes, when an enemy approaches, (espe- 



