396 QUAIL. 



day -break. Nets are spread on the opposite shore, and the bird-catchers, 

 waiting for their arrival, take them in great abundance. 



Such an account has all the appearance of theory, not only from the 

 preconcerted plan of migration, and the unnatural time of flight, but 

 also the time stated for the performance of so short a journey for an 

 aerial animal endowed with such powers of rapid transportation. In- 

 stead of the distance of one hundred and fifty miles, requiring the whole 

 of an equinoctial night (twelve hours,) such a journey would with ease 

 be performed in less than two hours. Besides, it is only nocturnal 

 feeders that fly by night, as we have before noticed ; and these are 

 either of the aquatic kind, or soft and long billed birds, (nocturnal birds 

 of prey excepted,) who feel out their food, and are capable of finding 

 it by other means than that of sight. Whereas granivorous birds 

 cannot feed even by moonlight, and actually require daylight for all 

 their operations, and sleep by night. In respect therefore to the mi- 

 grative part of the above account, it is unnatural and inconsistent with 

 daily observations; but that vast numbers of Quails visit and revisit 

 the borders of the Black Sea, twice in the year, cannot be doubted. 



*Mr. Gait, in his Voyages and Travels, speaks of the migration of Quails 

 from the continent of Europe, in September, to Sicily. " Being fatigued 

 by their flight," says that author, " they are easily shot on their arrival. 

 The pleasure which the Palermitans take in this sport is incredible. 

 Crowds of all ages and degrees assemble on the shore, and the number 

 of sportsmen is prodigious." The number in boats is described to be 

 greater than those on land, and all impatiently watching night and day 

 the expected arrival of the Quails. " Enviable is the lot," says this 

 writer, " of the idle apprentice, who, with a borrowed old musket or 

 pistol, no matter how unsafe, has gained possession of the farthest 

 accessible rock, where there is but room for himself and his dog, which 

 he has fed with bread only all the year round for these delightful days, 

 and which sits in as happy expectation as himself for the arrival of the 

 Quails." 



The Quail remains all the year in Portugal, and we are assured by 

 an excellent sportsman, Captain Latham, that he thinks they are more 

 plentiful in that country in winter than in summer. 



That the migration of these birds was well known in the early part of 

 the Christian era, is evinced by several passages in the sacred writings. 

 In the passage of the Israelites out of Egypt, we find, in the xvi. chap, 

 of Exodus, the following : — " And it came to pass, that at even the 

 Quails came up, and covered the camp." Again, in the xi. chap, of 

 Numbers : — " And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought 



