The Quail 27 



top of logs, and occasionally on the bare rails 

 of a fence. Only the belated sportsman, who has 

 blundered upon them while trying to climb a 

 fence in the dark, can rightly describe the thrill 

 caused by the unexpected and thunderous flush. 

 Speaking of noisy flight — a peculiarity of quail 

 lies in the fact that the characteristic resonant 

 " Burr-r-r ! " of the startled bird is not invariably 

 heard when a single one, or a bevy, rises un- 

 alarmed. The writer repeatedly has seen whole 

 bevies flush with no more noise than might be 

 caused by an equal number of sparrows, and 

 single birds rising and flying toward a caller sel- 

 dom if ever make any noticeable whirring. Again, 

 when calling, he has seen birds silently rise and 

 fly within a few yards, then sheer off on noisy 

 wings as they caught sight of him. The same 

 thing is true of that thunder-winged fellow, the 

 ruffed grouse. It may be the noisy flush has a 

 purpose in an attempt to momentarily startle and 

 confuse an enemy. 



The habits of the quail vary with the weather 

 and season. During windless, warm days, after 

 the first flush, they will scatter and lie like so 

 many stones. Should the day be very humid, or 

 if rain be falling, they may refuse to lie at all and 

 run like "quarter horses," perhaps for hundreds 

 of yards, then flush wild, pitch, and again run 

 on. In bleak, windy weather they are apt to be 



