124 THE VIRGINIAN QUAIL OR PARTRIDGE. 
of brown, red, orange, grey and white. The head 
is ahnost always crested. 
This bird is best known by the description of 
Alexander Wilson. Audubon has also figured a 
whole covey on one of his immense plates. It is a 
general inhabitant of North America, from the nor-, 
them parts of Canada and Nova Scotia, to the ex- 
tremity of the peninsula of Florida. They become 
very familiar, frequenting the vicinity of well culti- 
vated plantations ; but when alarmed, seek shelter 
in the woods, perching on the branches, or secreting 
themselves among the brushwood. Where not too 
much persecuted by the sportsman, they become al- 
most half domesticated, approach the ham, particu- 
larly in winter, and sometimes in that severe season, 
mix with the poultry to glean up a subsistence. 
Immense havock is at this season made among them 
with the gun and by snares, and they are sold in the 
markets from twelve to eighteen cents each. 
They begin to build early in May, and, according 
to Wilson, the nest is made most carefully. It is form- 
ed 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 quan- 
tity ; it is well covered above, and an opening left 
on one side for entrance. The female attends the 
young when hatched with great care, and performs 
the same part of counterfeiting lameness with our 
own pariridge. They liave been frequently brought 
up by placing the eggs under the common hen, and 
