QUA 
vidence has thus, kindly ordained, that the mofl: 
noxious animals fhall have many deftroyers : were 
it otherwife, they would foon over-nm the earth 
by their extreme fecundity; and the mofl: inofFen- 
Tive part of animated nature would enjoy but a 
Ihort exiftence, full of fufferings and perfecu- 
tions. 
The ancient Egyptians, who honoured Qua- 
drupeds with public worfhip, replenilhed their 
temp'es with thofe of every kind their country 
produced, which they fed and lodged with parti- 
cular care, embalmed after their deaths, and in- 
terred in magnificent catacombs. It was evert 
cuftomary to bring dead animals from foreign 
countries, to procure them an honourable fepul- 
ture in Egypt; and at length, whoever killed one 
of the confecrated animals, was punifhed with 
death. But this was only a relative worfhip: the 
animals were nothing but fymbols reprefenting 
the Divinity; and this adoration was firft founded 
on that formerly paid to the ftars, which had re- 
ceived the names of animals; fecondly , on a tra- 
dition of the Egyptians, that the gods, when they 
were purfued by Typhon, had concealed them- 
felves under the figures of various creatures; 
thirdly, on the dodrine of the metempf'i'chofis, 
which teaches a continual transfufion of fouls into 
different bodies of men and animils; and, laftly, 
on the benefits received by the Egyptians from 
certain creatures. Thus they paid divine honours 
to the ibis, becaufe it deftroyed winged fcrpents; 
to the ichneumon, becaufe it prevented too great 
an increafe of crocodiles by breaking their eggs; 
and in a fimilar manner the good qualities of other 
confecrated animals procured them a grateful ho- 
mage. 
QUAIL; the Tetrao Coturnix of Linnaeus. 
This bird, the leaft of all the gallinaceous kind, 
is about half the fize of the partridge: it's length 
is feven inches and a half; and it's breadth four- 
teen. The plumage of the head is black, edged 
with dufi-cy brown; the crov/n of the head is di- 
vided by a pale yellow line, beginning at the bill, 
and extending to the back; and above each eye 
there is another line of the fame colour. The 
chin and throat are whitifh; and the breaft is of a 
pale yellowifh red colour, fpotted with black. 
The fcapulars and back are marked v/ith a long 
pale yellow line in the middle, and with iron-co- 
loured and black bars on the fides. The coverts 
of the wings are of a reddifh brown hue, elegantly 
barred with paler lines, bounded on each fide 
with black. The tail, which is compofed of 
twelve fhort feathers, is barred with black, and a 
pale brownifh red; and the legs are of a palilh 
hue. 
The Quail, in it's habits and nature, refembles 
all others of the poultry kind, except in it's being 
a bird of palTage. Indeed, when we confider it's 
fluggifh manner of flying, and the fcantinefs of 
it's plumage in proportion to it's corpulence, it 
appears furprifing that a bird, evidently fo ill qua- 
lified for migration, ihould adventure fuch cxren- 
five journeys; neverthelefs, it is unqueflrionably a 
bird of paffage. Beilonius afTures us, that when 
paffing from Rhodes to Alexandria about the au- 
tumnal feafon, feverai Quails, in flying from the 
north fouthward, were caught in his {h\p: and 
when failing, about the Spring quarter, the con- 
trary way, (from fouth to north) he obferved 
them on their return, when numbers were cap- 
tured in a fimilar manner. The leftimonies of 
Voi.. XL 
QUA 
many other naturalifls confirm this affertion; 
and fome add, that thefe birds chufe a north wind 
for their migrations, the fouth being more unfa- 
vourable, as it retards their flight by moiftening 
their plumage; 
But though it is univerfally admitted that 
Quails are birds of pafl"age, it flrill remains a doubt 
whether they make fuch long journies as Belio- 
nius has afl!erted. Some have lately maintained, 
that they only migrate from one province of a 
country to another: in England, for infl:ance, they 
exchange the interior for the maritime counties, 
and remain there during the vv'inter. If expelled 
from the ftubble-fields or marfhes by frofl: or 
fnow, they retire to the fea-fide, feek for flicker 
among the weeds, and fubfifl: on what the tide 
forces on fliore. The period of their appearance 
on the coafl: of EflTex exa(5lly coincides with their 
migration from the more internal parts of this 
kingdom. Pennant fays, that they are birds of 
pafl^age; fome of them entirelv quitting our 
ifland, and others fliifting their quarters. It 
feems therefore highly probable, that the account 
which Beilonius has given us may be ft^riilly true; 
and the afl^ertion of other authors, that they fome- 
times only migrate from one province to another, 
may alfo equally deferveour belief. 
The Quail builds it's neft on the ground; dnd 
is much lefs prolific than the partridge, feldom 
laying more than fix or feven whitifli eggs, marked 
with ragged ruflr-coloured fpots. Their ardour 
in courtfhip is fcarcely inferior to that of any 
other bird : at that leafon they are fierce and cruel ; 
fighting with the utmofl: defperation ; and often 
indulging their animofity againfl: each other to 
fuch a degree, that they become regardlefs of their 
perfonal fafety. 
Quail-fighting was a favourite amufement 
among the Athenians: they abdained from the 
flefli of thefe birds, deeming it unwholefome, 
from a notion of their feeding on white hellebore; 
but they reared great numbers of them for the 
combat, and fl:aked confiderable fums of money 
on their fuccefs. Fafliion, however, has altered 
the opinion of mankind with regard to the Quail: 
it's courage is now difregarded ; but it's flefli is 
eflecmed a peculiar delicacy. 
Q^iails are eafily caught by a call. The fowler 
having fpread his net early in the morning, hides 
himfelf under it among the corn, on which they 
feed : he then imitates the voice of the female 
with his Quail-pipe; which the cock hearing, ap- 
proaches with the utmofl: fpeed; till having got 
under the net, the fowler immediately difcovers 
himfelf; which terrifies the Quail to fuch a de- 
gree, that his defire of efcapingonly ferves to en- 
tangle him ftill more in the meflies of the net. 
Quail, Indian, of Bontius. This Quail, 
which is eafily domefticated, and kept like com- 
mon poultry, is about the fize of a pigeon; and 
refembles the common Quail in colour; but it's 
bill is fomewhat longer. It's note refembles that 
of the bittern more than any of it's tribe. 
Quail, Arabian. This bird is found only 
in Arabia Felix, where it is called faleva. It is 
by fome pretended to be totally deftitute of 
bones, and that every part of it may be eaten : 
but this is certainly a miftake. Herbelot ac- 
quainf-s us, that this fpecies is peculiar to that 
part of Africa called Yemen ; and chat it is largei 
than a fparrow, but lefs than a pigeon. He like- 
wife affirms, that it's bones and tendons arc fo 
3 ^ extremely 
