Crass II. OW AW L. 
Quails are found in moft parts of Great-Bri- 
tain; but not in any quantity: they are birds of 
paffage: fome entirely quitting our ifland, others 
fhifting their quarters. A gentleman, to whom 
this work lies under great obligations for his fre- 
quent affiftance, has affured us, that thefe birds 
migrate out of the neighbouring inland countries, 
into the hundreds of Effex, in Oéfober, and continue 
there all the winter: if froft or fnow drive them 
_ out of the ftubble fields and marfhes, they retreat 
to the fea-fide,; fhelter themfelves among the 
weeds, and live upon what they can pick up 
from the age, &c. between high and low water 
mark. Our friend remarks, that the time of their 
appearance in Effex, coincides with that of their 
leaving the inland counties; the fame obfervation 
has been made in Hamp/bire. 
Thefe birds are much lefs prolific than the par- 
tridge, feldom laying more than fix or feven whitifh 
egos, marked with ragged ruft colored fpots: yet 
Mr. Holland of Conway, once found a neft with 
twelve eggs, eleven of which were hatched: they 
are very eafily taken, and may be enticed any where 
by a call. 
They are birds of great fpirit; infomuch that 
quail fighting among the Athenians was as great an 
entertainment as cock fighting is in this country: it 
is at this time a fafhionable diverfion in China, and 
large {ums are betted there on the event*. The 
* Be so rae Uh a7 1, 
bodies 
oat 
