Quails. 
8i 
as five little chicks, about the size of Bumble-bees, left the nest. 
Thiukin.^- that the cock and second hen might interfere with 
them, I removed these to another aviary, but I think that this 
was a mistake. The little ones did very well for a few weeks, 
when they began to die off, the last one living until two months 
old, at which time it was fully fledged, although not nearly as 
big as its mother. 1 was very busy with war work at this time, 
and I fancy that their dietary was neglected, or they would have 
been fully reared. The most noticeable feature of the young- 
quails was their buff eyebrow streak, which was very marked at 
the time of ])irth. Late in October the hen again went to nest, 
and this time brought ofi four chicks from five eggs. These did 
better than the others for a time and I thought that I was going 
to rear them. I'he cock and second hen each took charge of a 
chick and brooded it day and night. However, some very heavy 
frosts, late in December, proved too much for them and they all 
died. They are pretty little birds and quite worth breeding". 
The CniN'KSK Paixtkd Ou.ml has been bred in very many 
aviaries, and I do not know to wdiom the honour of first breeding 
it belongs*. It is, I think, quite the prettiest of all the little quails, 
and, as it becomes engagingly tame, it makes a nice pet. The 
hens are extraordinarily prolific in captivity, laying as many as a 
hundred eggs in a season. The young ones grow very fast, and, 
at five weeks old the cocks are in full colour and paying atten- 
tions to the hens. Their eggs are buff or pale drab, speckled with 
brown. Hybrids have been bred between them and Rain Quail. 
A very closely allied bird is found in Australia (E. Uucata) and 
this was bred by Mr. Seth Smith in 1900. Africa also boasts of a 
member of the family (E. adamsom) . but it is doubtful whether 
either of these are true species. Needless to say, they will inter- 
breed quite freely. 
The Rain Quail is another Indian species and one that 
is rather more freel\' imported than some of its congeners. 
It was bred by Mr. L. AI. Seth Smith in 1003 : Avicultural Mag- 
azine. Vol. I. X. S., and was also bred in the same year by Mr. 
G. C. .Swailes. It has also nested, not infrequentlv. in some of 
our other memliers' aviaries. This bird is a rather small edition 
of the Common Quail, and does not weigh more than two 
* E.G.B. Meade-Waldo, 1898, vide Avic. Mag., Vol. V., page i.— Ed, 
