. The popular natural history . Zoology. 378 THE QUAIL. The plumage of the Partridge is brown of several shades above, mingled with grey. The breast is grey, with a horsehoe-like patch of rich chestnut on its lower portion, and the sides and flanks are barred with chestnut. The total length of the male bird is rather more than a foot; the female is smaller than her mate, and the chestnut bars on the flanks are broader than those of the male. The odd, short-legged, round-bodied, quick-footed C2uail is closely allied to the partridge in form and many of its habits. Of these birds there are many
. The popular natural history . Zoology. 378 THE QUAIL. The plumage of the Partridge is brown of several shades above, mingled with grey. The breast is grey, with a horsehoe-like patch of rich chestnut on its lower portion, and the sides and flanks are barred with chestnut. The total length of the male bird is rather more than a foot; the female is smaller than her mate, and the chestnut bars on the flanks are broader than those of the male. The odd, short-legged, round-bodied, quick-footed C2uail is closely allied to the partridge in form and many of its habits. Of these birds there are many species; but as all are much alike, there is no need of many examples. The common Quail is found spread over the greater part of Europe and portions of Asia and Africa, coming to our island in the summer, though not in very great numbers. In England the bird is not sufficiently plentiful to be of any commercial value ; but in Italy and some of the warmer lands which the Quails traverse during their periodical migrations, the inhabitants look the greatest anxiety. In those. QUAIL.—[Coturnix conimiinu.] forward to the arrival of the Quail with countries they are shot, snared, and netted by thousands ; and it is chiefly from the foreign markets that our game-shops are supplied with these birds. When fat, the flesh of the Quail is very delicious ; and the most approved way of cooking the bird is to envelop it in a very thin slice of bacon, tie it up in a large vine-leaf, and then roast it. In their migrations the Quails fly by night, a peculiarity which has been noted in the Scrip- tural record of the Exo- dus, where it is men- tioned, that " at even the Quails came up and covered fie ; It is rather curious that the males precede the femiles by several days, and are conse- quently more persecuted by the professional foivl- ers. The male bird does not pair like the par- tridge, but takes to him- self a plurality of wives, and, as is generally the case with such poly
Size: 1995px × 1252px
Photo credit: © Central Historic Books / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1884
