l60 TETRAONID^ : GROUSE. 



lated into our uncouth language as ' Bob-white.' The 

 male is not now constrained by fear, and instead of any 

 false pride, he has a proper sense of his own comely 

 appearance. He knows that he is attending adequately 

 to his own department in the great business of nature, 

 and is entirely willing that any one should see him. He 

 has no fear of man, but keeps an eye to the hawks, cats, 

 and those other predatory enemies, who respect neither 

 time, place nor season. He is willing to take any 

 amount of family responsibility ; nature cannot ask too 

 much of him ; he will whistle to two or three wives if 

 necessary ; and he will even accept the law of Moses, 

 and assume the part of husband toward his brother's 

 widow. Should his wife propose a family of fifteen in- 

 stead of nine, he does not complain ; and moreover, 

 having escorted his young family about for some time, 

 he is ready to go through with this once or even twice 

 more. In fact, he carries his amiability and industry so 

 far as often to introduce a half-grown family to the rigors 

 of winter, so that it is not uncommon to find a covey of 

 these little ' cheepers,' when hardly able to fly, even in 

 November. A successful pair of Quail will often turn 

 out twenty-five young in a season. During the period 

 of incubation, the Quail often appear on our lawns, or 

 on the walls and fences by the roadside. Though their 

 bills are especially adapted to crushing, and their crops 

 to dissolving small grains and seeds, they are also fond 

 of grubs, worms and other insects, and are thus useful 

 in destroying the farmer's pests." 



The eggs of the American Partridges differ much 

 among themselves, those of some species, as the beauti- 

 ful crested creatures of the southwest, being as heavily 

 colored as those of Grouse, while others are pure white, 



