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QUAILS, 
From the earliest ages, Partridges seem, indeed, to have 
been a favourite food, and the pursuit of them as favourite 
an amusement. In the Scriptures, “to hunt the Partridge 
on the mountains,” is alluded to as a well-known sport ; and 
to this day, though not exactly with the same weapon, it is 
practised by the Arabs of Mount Lebanon. They make a 
slight square frame of wood, of about five feet in height, over 
which they stretch an ox-hide, perforated in three or four places. 
The ox-hide is moved quietly, in an upright position, along 
the ground, and the Arab, concealing himself behind it, is 
hidden from the view of the game, which unsuspectingly allow 
the sportsman to come within shot of them. The Arab, seeing 
through one of the apertures, quietly protrudes the muzzle of 
his long musket through another hole, and firing upon the 
birds, as they feed in coveys upon the ground, kills a great 
many of them. # 
Our limits will not allow us to dwell much longer on 
this fa mil y of birds, which includes Quails ; hut we cannot 
The Quail. 
* Franklin’s Constantinople , vol. ii. 
