BOB-WHITE. 
25 
Atlantic and Western States, and even penetrating into Mexico, 
Scarcely ever a bird of passage ; it only assembles in single 
milies, which may sometimes be reduced to four or five by 
Occidents, and at others increased to twenty or thirty. The 
instinctive sociability of this bird continues uniformly, until 
interrupted in the spring by the desire of pairing. At this 
Season the eager call of the male is often heard, but it nearly 
neases when he is mated, and is only long continued by those 
o are dissatisfied and have been unsuccessful in their con- 
nections ; and by imitating the reply of the female, the male 
IS easily decoyed to apjiroach towards the enemy who thus 
nres him. On these occasions, when the rival candidates 
Ppen to meet, they exhibit, the only time in their lives, a 
quarrelsome disposition, fighting with obstinacy, until the cc 
tented 
The 
victor at last gains the field, with his submissive mate, 
conjugal selection being now concluded, they are not 
^needed by any of the feathered race in their mutual attach- 
ent and common affection for their brood. In the vagrant 
to want of reciprocal and durable attachment gives rise 
wholly different character in instinctive morality, a com- 
Tro prevailing among them, as with our Cow 
our *^he mild sociability so prevalent with 
some pugnacious to a proverb : “ As quarrel- 
child ^ cage,” was an ancient reproof to striving 
only ff'n selfishness forbids all mutual alliance, and they 
Pa ^'^futy from each other in roaming solitude, 
they Partial to the depths of the forest, though 
low seek the shelter of trees, and perch on the 
"Their amongst the brush and underwood, 
the o however, commonly conducts them to 
and helds, where they glean up various kinds of grain, 
Indian^ Particularly fond of rye and buckwheat, as well as 
Wan wHl^''^ ’ when not too much disturbed by the sports- 
assembl Particularly in the autumn and winter, fearlessly 
^'’'d stabl rnost public roads, or around the barn 
he fowls^” search of a scanty pittance among the domes- 
s ) ike them, also, very industriously scratching up 
