﻿BREEDING 
  HABITS. 
  11 
  

  

  its 
  kittens, 
  now 
  the 
  scolding 
  of 
  a 
  caged 
  gray 
  squirrel, 
  now 
  the 
  alarm 
  

   notes 
  of 
  a 
  mother 
  grouse 
  blended 
  with 
  the 
  strident 
  cry 
  of 
  the 
  guinea 
  

   hen. 
  As 
  a 
  finale 
  sometimes 
  came 
  a 
  loud 
  rasping 
  noise, 
  not 
  unlike 
  

   the 
  effort 
  of 
  a 
  broken-voiced 
  whip-poor-will. 
  The 
  favorite 
  calling 
  

   stations 
  were 
  rail 
  fences 
  at 
  a 
  height 
  from 
  5 
  to 
  10 
  feet, 
  and 
  the 
  

   limbs 
  of 
  trees 
  along 
  fence 
  rows. 
  One 
  bird 
  whistled 
  in 
  a 
  tulip 
  tree 
  

   at 
  least 
  35 
  feet 
  from 
  the 
  ground. 
  H. 
  H. 
  Miller 
  reports 
  that 
  April 
  25, 
  

   1903, 
  was 
  the 
  earliest 
  date 
  of 
  nuptial 
  notes 
  at 
  Sandy 
  Spring, 
  Md. 
  

   After 
  the 
  breeding 
  season 
  the 
  bird 
  discontinues 
  this 
  characteristic 
  

   call. 
  During 
  August 
  19-21, 
  1902, 
  it 
  was 
  heard 
  only 
  on 
  one 
  occasion 
  

   at 
  Marshall 
  Hall, 
  where 
  the 
  birds 
  are 
  numerous, 
  and 
  ceased 
  after 
  

   a 
  dozen 
  repetitions. 
  Edward 
  A. 
  Preble, 
  of 
  the 
  Biological 
  Survey, 
  

   has 
  recorded 
  the 
  ' 
  bob- 
  white 
  ' 
  call 
  at 
  Wilmington, 
  Mass., 
  a% 
  late 
  as 
  

   October 
  20. 
  

  

  The 
  notes 
  of 
  the 
  bobwhite 
  in 
  fall 
  and 
  winter 
  have 
  been 
  described 
  

   by 
  many 
  writers. 
  The 
  following 
  quotation 
  from 
  Mr. 
  Sandys 
  gives 
  

   an 
  admirable 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  call 
  notes 
  of 
  a 
  covey 
  that 
  has 
  been 
  

   scattered 
  by 
  the 
  sportsman 
  and 
  is 
  trying 
  to 
  reassemble 
  for 
  the 
  nighty 
  

   a 
  notation 
  so 
  accurate 
  as 
  instantly 
  to 
  recall 
  the 
  notes 
  to 
  one 
  who 
  has 
  

   heard 
  them 
  : 
  " 
  Over 
  the 
  brow 
  of 
  a 
  hill 
  comes 
  the 
  low, 
  tender 
  call 
  

   of 
  the 
  hen 
  to 
  her 
  youngsters, 
  ' 
  ka-loi-kee, 
  ha-loi-hee; 
  ' 
  and, 
  perhaps, 
  

   from 
  the 
  broomsedge 
  beside 
  the 
  observer 
  comes 
  the 
  loud 
  vibrant 
  

   answer, 
  ' 
  whoil-keeS 
  '' 
  This 
  call 
  is 
  usually 
  sounded 
  in 
  the 
  late 
  after- 
  

   noon, 
  but 
  December 
  31, 
  1901, 
  at 
  Woodbridge, 
  Va., 
  a 
  scattered 
  flock 
  

   was 
  heard 
  calling 
  persistently 
  in 
  the 
  morning. 
  

  

  On 
  one 
  occasion 
  the 
  writer 
  watched 
  a 
  bobwhite 
  whistling 
  from 
  a 
  

   fence 
  rail 
  10 
  feet 
  away. 
  At 
  such 
  close 
  range 
  the 
  whistle 
  lost 
  all 
  its 
  

   melody 
  and 
  became 
  a 
  nasal 
  shriek 
  which 
  was 
  almost 
  painful 
  to 
  the 
  

   ear. 
  It 
  was 
  repeated 
  on 
  an 
  average 
  five 
  or 
  six 
  times 
  a 
  minute 
  and 
  

   consisted 
  of 
  either 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  notes, 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  first 
  was 
  so 
  low 
  as 
  

   to 
  be 
  inaudible 
  a 
  hundred 
  yards 
  away, 
  and 
  the 
  last 
  was 
  strikingly 
  

   louder. 
  The 
  mode 
  of 
  delivery 
  was 
  peculiar; 
  sitting 
  in 
  a 
  normal, 
  

   erect 
  position 
  the 
  bird 
  emitted 
  the 
  first 
  note, 
  then 
  depressing 
  the 
  tip 
  

   of 
  the 
  bill 
  almost 
  to 
  touch 
  its 
  breast, 
  with 
  a 
  motion 
  as 
  though 
  hic- 
  

   coughing, 
  it 
  gave 
  the 
  second, 
  then 
  throwing 
  back 
  its 
  head 
  and 
  point- 
  

   ing 
  its 
  bill 
  skyward 
  it 
  uttered 
  the 
  explosive, 
  far-reaching 
  third 
  note. 
  

  

  BREEDING 
  HABITS. 
  

  

  The 
  nesting 
  time 
  of 
  bobwhite 
  in 
  each 
  section 
  of 
  the 
  bird's 
  range 
  

   is 
  usually 
  limited 
  to 
  a 
  fairly 
  well-defined 
  period, 
  but 
  varies 
  consider- 
  

   ably 
  in 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  beginning, 
  the 
  difference 
  being 
  partly 
  seasonal 
  

   and 
  partly 
  regional. 
  About 
  Washington, 
  D. 
  C., 
  the 
  coveys 
  usually 
  

   break 
  up 
  the 
  first 
  part 
  of 
  May, 
  one 
  covey 
  being 
  seen 
  in 
  1899 
  as 
  late 
  as 
  

   May 
  9. 
  In 
  1902 
  the 
  first 
  nest 
  with 
  eggs 
  was 
  found 
  at 
  Marshall 
  Hall 
  

  

  