sometimes running — sometimes flying — stopping a moment here — a moment there — calling at the top of his 
voice for his mate, in that peculiar tone which denotes distress. His unanswered cry soon told the tale 
— some accident — some ruthless Hawk — some sneaking Cat, or some other enemy had captured and de- 
stroyed his faithful companion. He kept up his call several hours, sometimes coming close after me, 
making a low, cliittering noise, as if suspicious something could be told — that I could tell where his love 
had gone. Far from it, I was also in search — in search of any thing to give a clue to the unfeeling 
wretch that had done the bloody deed. I was excited, and would have executed the severest penalty 
known, if the guilty one could have been found. I had been to the nest several times, with merely the 
thought she might be testing the affection of her lord, or playing him a practical joke; but no, the eggs 
were bare. About noon of that day, he ceased his noise, and, hoping his mate had returned, I hastened 
to the nest again ; but in this again disappointed. The reason, however, for his stillness was explained. 
Fie was on the eggs, keeping life in the prospective family. For several days he left his charge fre- 
quently, to make further search and call for the missing partner. One morning I stopped as usual to 
see how the little widower was getting along, and found nothing but a huddle of egg shells. Every egg 
had been hatched. Not far from the nest I heard a low cMt-chit-cWt, and soon discovered Bob with his 
brood. He continued to care for the young, as I can testify from our frequent meetings, and reared a 
fine large covey, which received protection and sympathy, during the following winter, of all the farm 
hands and sportsmen who knew him and his well-behaved family. 
Quail are not strictly granivorous in their notions of diet. In autumn and winter, they subsist 
chiefly upon grain, berries, grapes, black haws, and seeds of weeds and vines. But in the spring and 
early summer, their food is almost exclusively composed of ants, bugs, and other insects. While Henry 
William Herbert justly extols the benefits the agriculturist derives from the consumption of weed-seed 
by these birds, he omits to give them credit for their insectivorous qualities. He says: “When it is 
taken into consideration that each individual Quail consumes daily nearly two gills of weed-seed, it will 
be at once evident that a few bevies of these little birds, carefully and assiduously preserved on a farm, 
will do more toward keeping it free of weeds, than the daily annual labor of a dozen farm servants.” 
With the indorsement of the above it is highly important to add, that a few coveys carefully preserved 
would protect the farmer against the ravages of many destructive insects, wdiich are by far greater pests 
and more to be feared than the ragwort, the dock, or the brier. As an insect exterminator, the Quail may 
be placed in the front ranks of our native birds. I examined the crop of one that was killed by flying 
against a white house, having been frightened from a potato-patch near by, which contained seventy-five 
potato-bugs. This is only one of many instances illustrating the practical usefulness of these birds to 
the farmer. 
Quail are pursued by man and beast and bird and reptile ; but with a fair opportunity 
and timely warning, they manifest a wonderful faculty of evading their foes. Excepting against the 
pot-hunter, they are provided with ample means for self preservation. He who steals upon them 
while enjoying the sunshine by the side of some old log or stump or fence-corner, all seated in a space 
less than the circumference of a half bushel measure, or even closer on a cold winter-day, and betrays 
their confidence by firing upon them in this unsuspecting attitude, filling his bag with the dead, and 
marching off, having the brand of “sneak thief” upon his brow, is a pot-hunter. He, too, who 
with a show of indifference, rides about, pretending to be overseeing his own affairs, whistling around 
and around, until the poor unsuspecting birds, in order to get out of his way, unconsciously walk into the 
net prepared for them, and as a reward for their confiding friendship, triumphantly pinches their heads, is 
a pot-hunter. Against such they have no protection. When these birds have warning of danger and 
wish to evade detection, or when closely pursued, they will conceal themselves against the observation 
of their foes in the most magical manner ; and if satisfied they are unobserved, will not move some- 
times until they have suffered themselves to be captured on the spot. It is quite amusing to witness 
80 
