2id Q^ U A I L. Clafsir. 



coverts of the wings are reddifh brown, elegantly bar- 

 red with paler lines bounded on each fide with black. 

 The exterior fide of the firft quil-feather is white, 

 of the others dulky fpotted with red : the tail confifts 

 of twelve fhort feathers barred with black and very 

 pale brownifii red : The legs are of a pale hue. 



Quails are found in moft parts of Great-Britain ; 

 but not in any quantity : they are birds of paflacye ; 

 feme entirely quitting ourilland, others Ihifting their 

 quarters. A gentleman, to whom this work lies 

 under great obligations for his frequent affiftance, 

 has alTured us, that thefe birds migrate out of the 

 neighbouring inland counties, into the hundreds of 

 EJex, in ORober, and continue there all the winter : 

 if froil or fnow drive them out of the flubble fields 

 and marfhes, they retreat to the fea-fide; fhelter 

 themfelves among the weeds, and live upon what 

 they can pick up from the alg<:e^ &c, between high 

 and lov; water mark. Our friend remarks, that the 

 time of their appearance in EJfex^ coincides with that 

 of their leaving the inland counties. 



Thefe birds are muchlefs prolific than the partridge, 

 feldom laying more than fix or feven whitifli eggs, 

 marked with ragged rufi: colored fpots : they are very 

 eafily taken, and may be enticed any where by a call. 



They are birds of great ipirit j infomuch that quail 

 fighting among the Jthemans was as great an enter- 

 tainment as cock fighting is in this country. The 

 antients never eat this bird, fuppofing them to have 

 been unwholefome, as they were laid to feed on Hellebore. 



To the birds of this genus we fiiould add the whole 



tribe of domefiic land fowl, fuch as Pea&ocks^Phedfants^ 



hz, but thefe cannot clame even an European origin. 



« India 



