is rarely a winter resident in England or Ireland, but was so much more
frequently in the middle of last century. Then, too, large numbers used
to come to this country in May to breed here. They were supposed to
leave in September, but the author believes that the majority left
before the shooting season, as he has often found broods in the sixties
which disappeared before the opening of partridge shooting.
They cannot be forced, or even encouraged, to migrate to this country.
Instinct once lost cannot be re-created by any act of ours. The King
tried turning out a lot of quail at Sandringham, where they bred, but
being spared they migrated, and not one of them came back. Still,
although His Majesty is not likely to try this experiment again, it
seems to the author to have proved the possibility of success, provided
ambition does not soar too high. It shows that if we had quail leagues
in the various counties, we might greatly add to our sport by buying up
the imported live quail and releasing them. If we could get Hungarian
partridges at ninepence or a shilling each, who would not buy them? The
quail is quite as fertile of sport and breeds as freely, and after being
turned down in the spring wanders no more before breeding than the
partridge that has also been turned down, but in the autumn.
Consequently, although it does not always pay a single estate to turn
out either, it would pay the sporting interest of a county to do it.
Quail lay from 10 to 20 eggs, rear most of their young, and 10,000 of
these birds can be had in the spring for about £400. That is not much
for an addition of 10,000 game birds to a county in a time when each
head killed costs from 3s. 6d. to 5s.; but when the chances of the
breeding of these 10,000 are taken into account, it becomes a likely
50,000 and a possible 100,000 extra game birds. What does it matter that
those not shot are lost to the county? They will be re-imported from
Africa and Italy another season, and can be again bought alive, instead
of being killed for the London hotels and clubs. We are fond of
deploring the extermination of these migrants, but the receiver is as
bad as the catcher, especially when he eats in the breeding season that
which he professes to wish to preserve. Even on the lowest ground of
self-interest, a quail turned out in England is worth many dead ones.
The scientific name of the quail is _Coturnix communis_, and this
migrant is not to be confused with the non-migratory “Virginian Colin,”
“Bob-white,” or more truly partridge, the scientific name of which is
_Ortyx virginianus_.
Quail are beautiful birds to shoot over dogs, and although they will not
drive, the shooting of them over dogs can be indulged without doing any
injury to partridge driving.