BRITISH BIRDS* 
3°9 
fpecimen of this beautiful bird alive by Mr Gil- 
frid Ward, and one Ihot by the Rev, Mr Brockle- 
bank of Corbridge, from which our reprefentation 
was made. The female wants the black fpots on 
the breaft, and is eafily diliinguilhed by a lefs vivid 
plumage. 
Quails are almoft univerfally diffufed through- 
out Europe, Afia, and Africa ; they are birds of 
paflage, and are feen in immenfe flocks traverfmg 
the Mediterranean fea from Italy to the fhores of 
Africa in the autumn, and returning again in the 
fpring, frequently alighting in their paflage on raa, 
ny of the iflands of the Archipelago, which they 
almoft cover with their numbers. On the wef- 
tern coafts of the kingdom of Naples fuch prodi- 
gious quantities have appeared, that an hundred 
thoufand have been taken in a day within the 
fpace of four or five miles. From thefe circum- 
ftances it appears highly probable, that the Quails 
which fupplied the Ifraelites with food, during their 
journey through the wildernefs, were fent thither 
on their paflage to the north by a wind from the 
fouth-weft, fweeping over Egypt and Ethiopia to- 
wards the Ihores of the Red fea. Quails are not 
very numerous in this ifland ; they breed with us, 
and many of them remain throughout the year, 
changing their quarters from the interior counties 
to the fea coaft. The female makes her neft like 
the Partridge, and lays to the number of fix or 
X 3 
