28 
GROUSE FAMILY. 
distance from the habitation. From two eggs thus deposited 
were raised a pair of young Quails which, when abandoned by 
the hen, showed their social attachment by accompanying the 
cows. These they followed night and morning from the pas- 
ture, and when the cattle were housed for the winter our little 
Partridges took up their humble abode in the stable. But 
even these, so docile, and separated from all their race, on the 
return of spring obeyed the instinct of nature, and wandered 
away to their congenial woods and thickets. It is probable at 
times, as asserted by observers, that our Quails, like some 
other birds, lay their eggs in the nests of each other, — a fiict 
which would only be in accordance with their usual friendship 
and mutual familiarity. 
'I’he American Quail, according to Wilson, has likewise, in 
turn, been employed to hatch the eggs of tlie domestic hen, 
which she brought out, defended, and fed as her own offspring. 
She even succeeded in imparting to them a portion of her own 
instinct to such a degree that when alarmed they hid in the 
grass and ran timidly from sight like so many young Par- 
tridges, exhibiting all the wildness of unreclaimed birds. A flock 
of these Quails, however attentively fed, and confined, always 
exhibit a great degree of fear and shyness ; their attachments 
remaining truly natural, they appear only to recognize the com- 
pany of each other. But a solitary individual becomes friendly 
and familiar to the hand that feeds it, and for want of more 
congenial society forms a similar attachment to its keeper. 
In the month of September, the little brood, now nearly full 
grown, assemble in families ; and at this period, as well as 
in the spring and early part of summer, the clear, whistling 
call of the male is often heard. This well-known note is 
very similar to the pronunciation of the words 'hob white, 
to which is often added a suppressed introductory whistle. 
While seated, perhaps on a fence-rail, or the low limb of an 
orchard tree, this peculiar note, sometimes interpreted in 
showery hay-weather into the augury of moi-e wet, more wet, 
continues uninterruptedly, at short intervals, for more than 
half an hour at a time. Du Pratz says these birds are known 
