AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
37 
QUAIL, OR PARTRIDGE. 
PERDIX VIRGINIANUS. 
[Plate 1Y. — Male and Female.] 
Jirct. Zool. 318, No. 185. — Catesb. Jlpp. p. 12. — Vir- 
ginian Quail, Tukt. Syst. p. 460. — Maryland Q. 
Ibid. — Le Perdrix d’ Amerique, Briss. i. 231. — Buff. 
ii. 447. — Tetrao Virginianus, Linn. Syst. ed. 10, p. 
161 . T. Marilandicus, id. ib. — Perdix Virginiana, 
Lath, Ind. Orn. p. 650. P. Marilanda, id. p. 651. — 
Caille de la Louisiane, Buff. PI. Enl. 149. — J. 
Doughty’s Collection. 
This well-known bird is a general inhabitant of North 
America, from the Northern parts of Canada and Nova 
Scotia, in which latter place it is said to be. migratory, to the 
extremity of the peninsula of Florida; and was seen in the 
neighbourhood of the Great Osage village, in the interior of 
Louisiana. They are numerous in Kentucky and Ohio; 
Mr. Pennant remarks, that they have been lately intro- 
duced into the island of Jamaica, where they appear to 
thrive greatly, breeding in that warm climate twice in the 
year. Captain Henderson mentions them as being plenty 
near the Balize, at the Bay of Honduras. They rarely fre- 
quent the forest, and are most numerous in the vicinity 
of well cultivated plantations, where grain is in plenty. 
They, however, occasionally seek shelter in the woods, 
perching on the branches, or secreting among the brush 
wood; btit are found most usually in open fields, or along^ 
fences sheltered by thickets of briars. Where they are nor 
too much persecuted by the sportsmen, they become almost 
half domesticated; approach the barn, particularly in win- 
ter, and sometimes in that severe season mix with the poul- 
try, to glean up a subsistence. They remain with us the 
whole year, and often suffer extremely by long hard win- 
ters, and deep snows. Indeed, it often happens that whole 
coveys are found frozen to death, or so extremely reduced, 
as not possessing sufficient power to fly. An instance of 
this kind occurred in the centre of the city of Philadelphia. 
In the very severe winter of 1828, a quantity of rubbish 
was removed from the large lot of ground at the corner of 
Eleventh and Market streets, owned by S. Girard, esq. un- 
der which a covey of Partridges was discovered in so weak 
and famished a state, as to be taken by the hand. These 
birds, it is supposed, were hatched in this lot the preceding 
summer, as persons residing in that vicinity heard them 
frequently whistling through the season. During these 
protracted snows, the arts of man combine with the incle- 
mency of the season for their destruction, and to the ravages 1 
of the gun are added others of a more insidious kind. Traps 
■are placed on almost every plantation, in such places as 
K 
they are known to frequent. These are formed of lath, 
or thinly split sticks, somewhat in the shape of an obtuse 
cone, laced together with cord, having a small hole at top, 
with a sliding lid, to take out the game by. This is sup- 
ported by the common figure 4 trigger, and grain is scat- 
tered below, and leading to the place. By this contrivance 
ten or fifteen have sometimes been taken at a time. But, 
a more barbarous, and as equally successful a mode is em- 
ployed by many to entrap them, by fixing snoods made of 
horse hair across the paths and furrows of such fields, and 
thickets, as are frequented by these birds, especially their 
roosting grounds: This is done by driving into the ground 
small stakes, about ten inches in length, and two inches 
apart, to the distance of five or six feet, similar to a fence, 
leaving the spaces where the snoods are suspended much 
wider, and to the number, perhaps, of four or five. The 
Partridges, in running the path, finds this impediment, and 
attempt to pass through the wider spaces, and are caught 
by the neck, where they often remain in this cruel and 
most tormenting situation for days. .. These are sometimes 
brought alive to market, and occasionally bought up by 
sportsmen, who, if the season be very severe, sometimes 
preserve and feed them till spring, when they are humanely 
turned out to their native fields agaiiiyio be put to death, at 1 
some future time, secundem artem. Between the months 
of August and March, great' numbers of these birds are 
brought to the market of Philadelphia, where they are sold 
from eight to eighteen cents a piece. 
The Quail begins to build early in May. The nest is 
made on the ground, usually at 'the bottom of a thick tuft of 
grass that shelters and conceals it. The materials are 
leaves and fine dry grass, in considerable quantity. It is 
well covered above, and an opening left on one side for en- 
trance. The female lays from fifteen to twenty-four eggs, 
of a pure white without any spots; and during the period 
of incubation are remarkably tenacious of their nest, for 
rather than forsake it, they will frequently sacrifice* their 
lives, and it is by no means an uncommon occurrence for 
them to fall victims to the scythe. The time of incubation 
has been stated to me by various persons at four weeks, 
when the eggs were placed under the domestic hen. The 
young leave the nest as soon as they are freed from the 
shell, and are conducted about in search of food by the 
female; are guided by her voice, which at that time resem- 
bles the twittering of young chickens, and sheltered by her 
wings, in the same manner as those of the domestic fowl; 
but with all that secrecy and precaution for their safety, 
which their helplessness and greater danger require. In 
this situation, should the little timid family be unexpectedly 
surprised, the utmost alarm and consternation instantly 
prevail. Sometimes, when an enemy approaches, (espe- 
