148 



March and April, whilst the autumnal passage is almost entirely executed during the latter half 

 of September, at that time their numbers being sometimes incredible. The Andalucian cazadores 

 profess to recognize two kinds of Quail— those which are migratory and called ' criollas,' and 

 those which are resident and so named ' castellanas.' There is certainly much difference in the 

 colour of the plumage and of the legs, the criollas being lighter-coloured and slightly smaller 

 birds than the castellanas, which are very dark ; otherwise, in habits, note, and eggs, there is no 

 difference, although at a glance the resident and migratory races can be easily distinguished. 



"There are a great number of these resident Quails, which, throughout the winter, seem to 

 collect together and haunt certain favourite spots, these places never being without Quail. You 

 may kill three or four, and hunt about unable to find more ; but go to the same place in a few 

 days' time, and you will find that some fresh ones have taken possession of the ground." 



Von Homeyer states (J. f. O. 1862, p. 420) that it is a migrant in the Balearic Isles, and 

 he did not hear its call before the 26th of April. On the two larger islands it is very abundant ; 

 and he remarks on the difference of coloration in specimens examined by him from there. In 

 Savoy the Quail is abundant from April to October, and also in Italy, where a few winter in the 

 southern provinces. In Sardinia, Mr. A. B. Brooke writes (Ibis, 1873, p. 336), large numbers 

 arrive in the spring, and a few remain throughout the year ; and in Sicily immense flights pass 

 near Palermo. In Malta, Mr. C. A. Wright states (Ibis, 1864, p. 139), "In spring and autumn, 

 especially the latter, large numbers of these birds alight on the island, and constitute the principal 

 game of the sportsmen of Malta. Although usually arriving with the prevalent winds of the 

 season, as before mentioned in reference to birds in general, they also find their way here during 

 perfect calms, provided that it is their season of migration. In spring they come during the 

 night, and chiefly to the west and north-west coast, Gozo being at this season the most favoured 

 locality. In the autumn, on the contrary, they arrive for the most part during the hours of 

 daylight, and the east and south-east coasts are the parts where they are most abundant ; at both 

 seasons, however, they are found scattered throughout both islands. Quails come here in the 

 greatest numbers in September, though in April very large flights occasionally occur. A good 

 shot may bag in a day, in the height of the season, fifty to sixty brace by hard work, notwith- 

 standing the numerous sportsmen out ; but such sport is the exception, days repeatedly occurring 

 on which hardly a bird can be found. Ten or fifteen brace are ordinarily a very good bag. 

 Various methods, in addition to shooting, are adopted for catching these birds. A few breed 

 here in March. Some of these are also caught by imitating the call-note of the female, and so 

 drawing the males, which are the first to arrive, into nets spread on the standing corn. A few 

 solitary birds are to be found throughout the winter." 



Lord Lilford, in his article on the ornithology of the Ionian Islands (Ibis, 1860, p. 238), 

 says that " a few Quails remain the whole year in Corfu and Epirus ; but great numbers arrive 

 every year in April, and remain for a few days. On the little island of Fano, especially, they 

 sometimes at that season alight in incredible numbers, often only remaining a single night. I 

 have occasionally met with good sport at Quails in the maize-fields of Epirus in September ; 

 these were chiefly young birds that had been bred in the country. A few are always to be found 

 in winter on the grassy hills of the mainland opposite to Corfu, particularly on those near the 

 little harbour of Pagania." In Greece the Quail is very numerous during the seasons of passage ; 



