310 BRITISH BIRDS. 
feven* eggs, of a greyifh colour, fpeclded with 
brown : The young birds follow the mother as 
foon as hatched, but, do not continue long toge- 
ther; they are fcarcely grown up before they fe- 
parate ; or, if kept together, they fight obftinately 
with each other, their quarrel^ frequently termina- 
ting in each other’s deftru&ion. From this quar- 
relfome difpofition in the Quail it was, that they 
were formerly made ufe of by the Greeks and Ro- 
mans, as we do Game cocks, for the purpofe of 
fighting. We are told that Auguftus punilhed a 
prefect of Egypt with death, for bringing to his ta- 
ble one of thefe birds which had acquired celebrity 
by its victories. At this time the Chinefe are 
much addicted to the amufement of fighting Quails, 
and in fome parts of Italy it is faid likewife to be 
no imufual practice. After feeding two Quails 
Fery highly, they place them oppofite to each 
other, and throw in a few grains of feed between 
them — the birds rulh upon each other with the 
Htmofi: fury, Itriking with their bills and fpurs till 
one of them yields. 
f In France they are faid to lay fifteen or twenty •-—Buffi 
