378 THE QUAIL. 
The plumage of the Partridge is brown of several shades above, mingled 
with grey. The breast is grey, with a horsehoe-like patch of rich chestnut 
on its lower portion, and the sides and flanks are barred with chestnut. The 
total length of the male bird is rather more than a foot ; the female is smaller 
than her mate, and the chestnut bars on the flanks are broader than those of 
the male. : 
THE odd, short-legged, round-bodied, quick-footed QuaIL is closely allied 
to the partridge in formand many of its habits. Of these birds there are 
many species; but as all are 
much alike, there is no need of 
many examples. 
The common Quail is found 
spread over the greater part of 
Europe and portions of Asia and 
Africa, coming to our island in 
the summer, though not in very 
great numbers. In England the 
bird is not sufficiently plentiful 
to be of any commercial value ; 
but in Italy and some of the 
warmer lands which the Quails 
traverse during their periodical 
migrations, the inhabitants look 
forward to the arrival of the Quail with the greatest anxiety. In those 
countries they are shot, snered, and netted by thousands ; and it is chiefly 
from the foreign markets that our game-shops are supplied with these birds. 
When fat, the flesh of the Quail is very delicious ; and the most approved 
way of cooking the bird is to envelop it in a very thin slice of bacon, ue it up 
in a large vine-leaf, and then roast it. 
QUAIL. —(Coturnix communis.) 
In their migrations 
the Quails fly by night, 
a peculiarity which has 
been noted in the Scrip- 
tural record of the Exo- 
dus, where it is men- 
tioned, that “at even 
the Quails came up and 
covered the camp.” 
It is rather curious 
that the males precede 
the femiles by several 
days, and are conse- 
' quently more persecuted 
by the professional fowl- 
ers. ; 
The male bird does 
not pair like the par- 
tridge, but takes to him- 
self a plurality of wives, 
and, as 1s generally the 
case with such poly- 
CAPERCAILLIE.—( 7etrao urogallus.) gamists, has to fight 
; many desperate battles 
with others of its own sex. Although il provided with weapons of offence, 
the Quail is as fiery and courageous a bird as the gamecock ; and in Eastern 
