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« ferved quails flying the contrary way to N. and S. 
« that they might abide there all fummer, at which 
“ time alfo a great many were taken in the (hip.” 
Let us now confider what is to be inferred from 
this citation. 
In the firfl: place, Bellon does not particularize the 
longitude and latitude of that part of the Mediter- 
ranean, which he was then eroding; and in his courfe 
from Rhodes to Alexandria, both the iflands of 
Scarpanto and Crete could be at no great diftance:. 
thefe quails therefore were probably flitting from one 
Aland of the Meaiteranean * to another. 
The fame obfervation may be made with regard 
to the quails which he faw between Zant and Negro- 
pont, as the whole paffage is crouded with iflands, 
they therefore might be pafling from ifland to ifland, 
or headland to headland, which might very proba- 
bly lye Eaft and Weft, fo as to occafton the birds 
flying in a different dirediion, from which they palled 
the fhip before. 
I have therefore no objection to this proof of mi- 
gration, if it is only infilled upon to fhew that a quail 
fhifts its ftation at certain feafons of the year; but 
cannot admit that it is fair from hence to argue that 
thefe birds periodically crofs large tradls of lea. 
Bellon himfelf ftates, that when the birds fettled 
upon the fhip, they were taken by the firft perfon 
who chofe to catch them, and therefore they mull 
have been unequal to the fhort flight which they 
were attempting. 
* One of the Mediterranean iflands is fuppofed to have ob- 
tained its ancient name of Ortygia from the numbers of avails. 
