The Parthidge.- 
-BIRDS. 
-The Quail. 
403 
tlie north and south migrate into the more temperate 
regions at the approach of the cold or liot seasons. 
Partridges are generally met. with about corn-fields, 
where they feed upon seeds, .tender herbage, and 
insects. They pair early in the spring, and the female 
deposits from ten to fifteen eggs in a small hollow 
scratched in the ground and lined w'ith a little straw'. 
The business of incubation, which occupies three 
weeks, is left entirely to the female, although the male 
is assiduous in his attendance upon his mate, and 
endeavours to protect her from any danger. The 
young when hatched accompany their parents in search 
of food, and the small piarties thus formed, known as 
coveys by sportsmen, keep together throughout the 
autumn and winter, if not destroyed by the gun, for 
the number of partridges annually killed for the table 
is probably equal, if not superior, to that of the grouse 
which undergo the same fate, and excites one’s aston- 
ishment that the whole race has not long since become 
extinct. The parent birds exhibit much courage in 
defending their young brood from the assaults of their 
natural enemies. Mr. Selby mentions an instance in 
whiah a pair of jiartridges seized a carrion crow vdiich 
had probably evinced felonious intentions towards their 
newly-hatched family, and held the marauder until it 
was taken from them by the spectator of the combat. 
THE KED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE {Caccahis rubra)— 
Plate 20, fig. 76 — also called the Gueunsky Par- 
tridge, is a handsome bird, and rather larger than the 
Common or Gray Partridge. It is of a brow'n colour 
above, pearl-gray on the breast, and fawn colour on the 
belly ; the throat is white, and surrounded b}' a broad 
black gorget, below which numerous black streaks and 
spots descend tow'ards the breast, and the feathers of 
the flanks are beautifully adorned with transverse bars 
of pearl graj', white, black, and fawm colour. The bill 
and legs are blight red. 'Phis bird is a native of 
Southern Europe, and has been introduced into Britain. 
In its habits it resembles the common species. 
THE COMMON FRAN COLIN (Francolinus vulgaris). 
In the Francolins, which are closely allied to the true 
Partridges, the tarsi of the males are armed with one 
or two spurs. 'They are peculiar to the Eastern hemi- 
sphere. The present species, which is w'idely distri- 
buted over the south of Europe, Asia, and the north of 
Africa, is about twelve inches in length, and is of a 
yellowish-brown colour above, marked and barred with 
black, and deep black beneath, with numerous oval 
white spots. Bound the lower part of the neck there 
is a broad collar of chestnut red. This bird lives in 
numerous companies in the low and marshy districts 
of the forests, and perches freely upon the branches of 
trees. Its food consists of seeds and the bulbous roots 
of plants, which it is able to dig out of the soil. Its flesh, 
like that of the other Franeolims, of which there are 
many species^ is very good. 
THE COMMON QUAIL {Coturnix clactylisonans) is 
generally distributed in Europe, and, indeed, apparentl}' 
over the whole of the Old World. In Europe and 
Afriea the Quails are migratory, passing northwards in 
countless flocks in the spring, and returning to the 
warmer regions at the approach of winter. This is 
also the case in Arabia and Asia Minor. It was 
formerly a matter of dispute whether this was the bird 
referred to in the book of Exodus as furnishing the 
Israelites with a supply of animal food during their 
journeying in the wilderness. Now-a-days there seems 
to be little doubt upon the subject, as no other species 
of Quail is known to perform a migration, and this 
bird, as described by the sacred historian, always 
travels at night. Both M. 'remminck and Mr. Yarrell 
consider the migration of Quails to be rather in search 
of food than for the sake of uniformity of climate. 
The Quail measures about seven inches in total 
length. It has the upper parts brown, with the shafts 
of the feathers paler, and numerous longitudinal darker 
streaks; the breast is pale chestnut-brown, with the 
shafts of the feathers yellow ; the throat and belly are 
nearly white, the former bounded by two narrow semi- 
circular brown bands, bearing a black patch in the 
middle. 'Phese latter marks are wanting in the female. 
Quails, although so nearly allied to the Partridge, are, 
unlike them, polygamous in their habits. 'Phe female 
lays from seven to twelve eggs in a small cavity in the 
ground lined with a little grass and straw, generally in 
a corn-field. 'Phe cry of the male resembles the 
syllables or peek-ioheet-wlieet. In China 
the males are kept in captivity for the purpose of 
fighting, which they do with great courage, and the 
people are said to stake large sums upon the issue of 
these contests. A similar practice prevailed to a great 
extent amongst the ancient Greeks and Bomans, and 
is said not to have entirely died out among their 
descendants. 
THE CHINESE QUAIL {Coturnix Chinensis), a small 
and elegant species, measuring only four inches in 
length, which is abundant in many parts of Eastern 
Asia, is also said to be kept in cages by the Chinese, 
not only on account of the sport to be derived from its 
pugnacity, but also for the singular purpose of warm - 
ing the hands of its owners in winter, the bodies of these 
birds being supposed to contain an unusual amount of 
heat. 
THE ANDALUSIAN QUAIL {Hemipoclius tachy- 
dronms), an inhabitant of Southern Europe and 
Northern Africa, is distinguished from the preceding 
specie.s by the total absence of the hinder toe. It is a 
small species, about six inches in length, of a brown 
colour above, and yellowish-white beneath, with the 
breast and throat pale chestnut; the upper surface is 
variegated with bars and spots of chestnut, black, and 
3 'ellowish-white. 'Pliis bird is found in barren spots, 
and runs with great speed amongst the scanty herbage. 
It appears to perform at least a partial migration from 
Africa into Europe ; a single specimen has been killed 
in this country. It is supposed to be polygamous. 
Other species nearly allied to this are met with in 
Africa and India, and no less than eight occur in 
Australia. 
THE CROWNED PARTRIDGE {Rollulus cristatus)— 
Plate 20, fig. 77 — is an example of a singular genus 
including only three or four species, which has been 
placed by diflerent naturalists amongst the pheasants, 
partridges, and pigeons. Its true place appears to be 
with the partridges, but it is distinguished from all the 
preceding forms by the absence of the claw upon the 
