THE QUAIL. 
40 
ess, eo j™, ii Eba™ n<l 1,1 ,h ° s ° uti ' -> f ^ 
. i,ick',: “lisirfwi? pmlridBe ’ a ■>**“ 
Ihe Quail is a bird much smaller than any of the for- 
mer being not above half the size of a partridge The 
eathers ot the head are black, edged with rusty°brown- 
ie breast isot a pale yellowish red, spotted with black- 
e feathers on the back are marked with lines of pale 
yellow, and the legs are of a pale hue. f 
1 he quail is by all known to be a bird of passage; and 
yet, ,1 we consider its heavy manner of flying, and its dearth 
plumage, with respect to its corpulence, we shall be sur- 
shnii IT a b ‘, rC S ° a PP arenl 'y 111 qualified for migration, 
should take such extensive journeys. Nothing, however is 
‘‘ W , hen We Saile<1 fiom Rh °des to Alexandria,” 
n nl'i 1 i i II ‘ U T° Ut autu ! nn 5 ,nar, y quails, flying from the 
i to the south, were taken in our ship ; and sailing at 
pnng-ttme the contrary way, from the south to the north I 
^served them on their return, when many of them were taken 
the same manner.” This account is confirmed by many 
iers ; who aver, that they choose a north wind for these ad- 
entures; the south being very unfavourable, as it retards 
neir Ihght, by moistening their plumage. They then fly 
T? T wo; , cont 'nuing, when their way lies over land, to go 
jaster by night than by day : and to fly very high, to avoid 
,n g surprised, or set upon by birds of prey. It is now, 
0 We vc reasserted by some, that the quail only migrates from 
p 0 P'oy'ncc °f a country to another. For instance, that in 
on j a nd, d flies fromthe inland counties to those bordering 
the sea, and continuesal! the winter. . 
<] lese . birds arc much less prolific than»the partridge ; sel- 
1 ao *. ,y in « more tl |an six or seven whitish eggs, marked with 
88 e d, rust-coloured spots. Quail-fighting was a favourite 
^ uusemciu among the Athenians. They abstained from the 
. t l s i oi this bird, deeming it unwholesome, as supposing that 
her ?. P ? n tlle white hellebore ; but they reared great num- 
st . k of them, for the pleasure of seeing them fight ; and 
cess f U l 9 ° f mone y» as we do wi 'li cocks, upon the suc- 
c han ° i t<l . e com b a t. fashion, however, has at present 
cour- re S ard to this bird ; we take no pleasure in its 
I a S e 5 out its flesh is considered as a very great delicacy, 
fp,. °uth America there are crested quails; and in dif- 
Vo P a j[ S °P Lbe woldd tlieir plumage greatly varies. Ten 
