Co turn ix coianiinls . 



laluMl ItetoiPFe 



I The Migratory (Jnails. 



BT EYEBBTT SMITH. 



The importatton of tlie common qnall (Ootumix commimUi) of 

 Europe, for the purpose of adding to the fauna of North Amer- 

 ica a bird worthy of the esteem of sportsmen, farmers and epi- 

 cures, has been attempted within the last few years; and those 

 who have been especially interested In this attempt are now ask- 

 ing if any of the quails have retnmed, after migration, to the lo- 

 calities where they were liberated. 



My Interest in ornithology, and as a sportsman, prompted me 

 to Introduce the subject in an address to the "Sagadahoc Asso- 

 ciatlon." a t Brunswick. Me.. In 1879, with the object of^obtaln- 

 Ing by subscription a general fund for the importation of these 

 birds into Maine. As a result I received 2600 live quails early 

 In June, 1880, and lots for distribution were sent to nearly every 

 county In the state. In the majority of cases some- of the birds 

 nested in the Immediate vicinity of their liberation, and many 

 nests with eggs were found. Although some eggs and birds 

 were destroyed by mowing machines, some nests deserted, and 

 many birds captured by the domestic cat, yet it was to be pre- 

 sumed that a good number escaped, and migrated South In the 

 Autumn. 



In the Maine "Report of the Commissioners of Fisheries and 

 Game" for 1880. I gave an account of the migratory quails, their 

 Introduction to Maine and results so far as then observed, with 

 some description of their nests, habits, etc. 



As none of these birds were Imported to Maine in 1881, I 

 looked forward with intere.st to learn If my confident prediction 

 of their return by raieratlori from the South would be verified. 

 Through the Chicago Field, and by other mediums, I requested 

 all persons who might observe any of these quaiU to report the 

 fact to me. And I would be grateful, now or in the future, for 

 any Information about these birds, especially of their arrival In 

 the Spring of 1883. The reports received e.^tab'tsh the fact be- 

 yond a doubt that the quails have returned. I have received re- 

 liable evidence of their appearance in various portions of thtB 

 state, from the Saco river valley in the west, to the St. Crolii 

 river on the eastern boundary. I quote from a few of the re- 

 ports received : 



"Daxton, Mb., May 2, 1881. — The quails that nested on my 

 place last Summer have returned this morniug. Five in num- 

 ber. G. W. KUMEKT." 



"Bath, Me., May 3, 1881.— Mr. W. T. Dunton saw twoquaUs 

 last week on his farm, within the Umlta of this city. 



C. H. Greenlbxj'." 



"WisOASBET, Me., May 9, 1881.— The quails that I liberated 

 last year have returned. They were seen for the first time on 

 May 5, in the very field in which they were hatched. 



W. G. HUBBAUD." 



During the latter part of April Mr. W. W. OasUe of Belfast, 

 Me., found several quails in the immediate vicinity of that city. 



These were the first reported, and a comparison of dates fixes 

 the early part of May as the date of their general appearance In 

 Maine for that season. Samuel Atwood, Esq., writes from Wln- 

 terport, Me., under date of May 2i, 1881 : "I have for the last 

 two weeks looked early and late and this evening was rewarded 

 with the sight of two quails, and the sound of quite a number." 



The notes otthe migratory quail are unmistakable, and not to be 

 confounded with the notes of any of our native birds, and their 

 general appearance and flight differ widely from all Maine birds. 

 Sometimes, when flushed, the migratory quail repeats a low 

 trilling note as it flies away. This note resembles the ordinary 

 cry of the pectoral sandpiper (rrijiffas macuiaia), but la softer 

 and only to be heard when uttered within a few rods of the 

 listener. But the ordinary notes of the male quail, so frequent- 

 ly uStered at morning and evening, during the months of May 

 and June, are clear and penetrating, and on a still day may be 

 h»ard at a distance of nearly half a mile. I can best express 

 these notes in words by the syllables W/w-eat, wheat-wJieat? The 

 crescendo inho of the first note can be heard only when close by. 

 These notes may be easily Imitated by a whistle, but they are of 

 a ventrlloqual nature, and the listener who hears the rapidly ut- 

 tered "wlceat, wheal" of the two terminal notes at a distance of 

 several hundred yards, is apt to be misled Into believing the 

 bird very near. 



All the quails thus far Imported have been sent to widely sep- 

 arated districts, and divided Into lots of very small numbers for 

 liberation, except the Importation of 1880. A total of 5,100 

 quails were Imported to America in that year, and more than 

 one-half of the whole number came to me, and were distributed 

 throughout Maine. Not a large number for the territory. Eight 

 hundred quails were sent to Canada In 1880, and distributed in 

 small lots of a few pairs each over a wide extent of country. 

 Colonel Wm. Rhodes, a public-spirited gentleman and sportsman 

 of Quebec, liberated a number at his own private expense, and in 

 an interesting letter, giving me the memoranda of their distribu- 

 tion, expresses the liope that these quails may find " the great 

 barrens of the Lanrentldes " suitable for their breeding. It Is 

 my belief, however, that the cultivated fields of the St. Liwrence 

 valley are more favorable, and in character and latitude highly 

 suitable as a home for the migratory quail. 



It is Impossible to predict with certainty the ultimate success 

 of the attempt to make the migratory quails a permanent addi- 

 tion to our fauna, but It has already been demonstrated that 

 these birds find suitable food in abundance here, and that they 

 are not lacking in the instinctive love of home that pertains to 

 all creatures, and prompts migrating birds to return to the place 

 of their nativity. 



I am confident in the belief that these quails can be perma- 

 nently added to our North American fauna, even should the first 

 attempts fail. In this connection I will mention the fact the first 

 attempt of which there is public record, to introduce the domes- 

 tie sparrow {Fyrmiga domesiica), of Europe to this continent 

 was made at Portland, Maine. But the birds then liberated here 

 were few in number, and although they were observed for sev- 

 eral years, all finally disappeared, and it was only after repeated 

 attempts that their Introduction as permanent residents was ac- 

 complished. As regards the migratory quaUs, it should be borne 

 in mind that they are terrestrial birds, rarely alighting elsewhere 

 than on the ground, and their brown plumage protects them from 

 ready detection in the grass. Moreover, these quails are not 

 easily fiushed, and one may pass very near while the birds seek 

 safety by running or hiding in the grass. Hence there might be 

 but few seen even where abundant, and to become appreciably 

 noticeable throughout a territory extending from the Atlantic 

 Ocean to the Mississippi river, their numbers must be millions. 

 These quails are so prolific, laying from eight to eighteen eggs in a 

 nest, that If the attempts made prove successful we need wait 

 but a few years for the few thousands imported as seed to multi- 

 ply to millions. 



From what I have written above It may be perceived that the 

 migratory quails liberated here have nested, raised their young, 

 and with them migrated South, and returned in the Spring. 



Portland, Maine. / 



Importatiou of Migratory Quail. 



Rutland, Vt., March 18. 



Editob Ohicabo Field: — I beg leave to draw your at- 

 tention, and, ^through your paper, the attention of sports 

 men, to the fact tliat by the 1st of May next there will reach 

 this place one hundj-ed and df ly pairs of migratory quail, 

 to be turned loost^on our mountain pastures, in the hope 

 that they will lind on our continent all the conditions tit for 

 their summer and winter homes. The quail is perhaps the 

 most valuable uf the migratory birds of Europe. It is ex- 

 ceedingly prulihc; it yields to the sportsman, in the coun- 

 tries over vfhich it passes^ tvro seasons for shooting, like the 

 English snipe; and, like the^snipe, moves over great breadths 

 of country. It has no suolr strength of wing or durability 

 of flight as. the snipe or pigeons. The crossing of the Medit- 

 terranean well-nigh exhausts it. 



This quail is a capital bird for the table; lies well to the 

 open ; is found mostly in the open ; and, indeed, is in every 

 particular except size, nearly as fine a bird as our "Bob 

 White." Il resembles in general color and markings the 

 female of its Vii-ginia congener. To appearance it is larger- 

 bodied and short'er-legged in its proportions. 



The great object of this importation, made by Judge M. 

 G. Everts, of this place, is to furnish, if possible, to those 

 living on the northern borders of the canon, and too far 

 north for the Virginia quail to winter well, a species, breed- 

 ing still further north and giving us a whack at .them per- 

 chance as they go by in spring and fall. ^ 



If this handsomely conceived and spiritedly executed pro- 

 ject of IVIr. Even's succeeds, he will have cause not only to 

 congratulate himself and neighbors, but to feel that he has 

 done a lasting beneht to the country. 



Very truly yours, M. G-oldsmith. 



