Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-12-13

part OF which Is pluckoi from tho mother
birds breast. The tyN.lve oggs arc BUR
green and polished; anS whilc tho duck
lays and broods upon Jhom, tho drake
joins band OF other Bencdicts, aud takes
gay vacation until tho yCung arc ablo
to ily, whom no rejoins his family. This
looks like u very unuxor!ous pro-
cecding OH his part; but a mo-
mcnts thought will rcliove hirsi OF tho
charge, since it ~ plain that so brilliant
chap lowering about his doorway would
nut serve as sign to all marauders that
thero was plundor In toothsomo ogg, aud
ducklings to bo Ind Tor tho trouble OF got
ting them, since tho duck has small fight
ing ability. Tho best interests of his do
fenceloss wife nni family, therefore, arc
served hy his Keeping far away from tho
maternal hiding place.
How tho young nro got down to tho
water from thoir lofty tenemcnt was for n
long timo puzzle, but a. last DR.. c. C.
Abbott supplied tho information Tia
nest in tho instance ho ob.oryod was fully
ttty feet above tho wator of n crock near
Trenton, Now Jersey. lle climbed II troo
near tho nest while tho mother bird was
absent and patiently waited. In tho course
of hnlf an hour tho old duck nppcnrou.
and after fcw moments rcst sluattoJ
closely down upon tho nest, whcreupon a
duckling quietly climbed upon her bnck
Tho oil bird thon walkoL slowly to tho
cdSo OF an ovcrhnnging limb, and with n
slow Tapping motion OF tho ou;sprcnd
wings lot horsclf down. rnthor thnn How,
I, tho wntor. Tho moment sho touchci
tho surface of tho stream shc dove. and
ieit tho duckling swimming on tho wntor,
quito ut homo, This has since boon con-
iirmcd 10y othor Observers, nnl il pnrnllelod
ny sono OF tho arctic clir hosting son fowl
Tho wood-duclt is common, aud hroods
/ from tho Gulf of Moxico to Cnnnda,
ovor much of this space it IL tho only
inomhcr of its family seen in tho summon,
nnd hrhco Is known ns tho "simmor-
duck lt can lc domosticutud mud
makes II charming ornament TO tho fan
cier's yard.
lob White oNtonds his wcs,orn wander.
insS no fart'cr than tho dry plains. lr
he crossed tho ioclics To tho Pacific const
hc might visit cousins who, pprhnps
would act coolly toward him, rcmar.inN,
ns CnlifotniunS sometimes do In regard TO
tho rcSt of tho world that "ho had no
siylo about him;" FOR, though thoir dress
Is nitar tho Hnno pattern ns that of Doh
White, tho sober brown hucs and rcsuoct.
ntlo white nockorchiof which charnctcriAo
him, nro replaced in tlloir caso hy fur gay
cr colors IL not Of rchor material
Tlioro nro two apoclos of qunl In Cali
iornin, ono belonging To tho mountain
heights and tho other confined To tho val
10y lands OF tho conat rogi0n. Tho lattor
IL by TAR tho moro common, mud IL tho ono
usually alluded to ns tho Cnlifornin quail,
though its homo namo IL valloy quail
THIS beautiful bird IL about tho $40 OF tho
Enstorn Rob White. Its general color Ia
Load gray, tho wings aud bnck gloaiod
win olivO brown, nnd strrniod with bnck
anu whito In worry pretty way. Tho holly
IL orange, fnding into bun md finally into
lA all Han H..
with black. Theso arc only broad dosig-
nations of color, VIII ich aro varied aud in
terbicndnd In such way IN to mako tho
birl ono ofitho most striking aud heauti-
iul In our whole fnunn. IL IL tho hoad, how
ever, that is his chief glory. Tho roreheni
~ browniah yollow, with tho shafts of tho
icnthers black; across tho top of tho hond,
Nith It's ends lloating hnck ward along tho
sides or tho mock nnd odgcd with black, in
n marrow illot OF whilo, enclosing tho Iipht
brown lacls of tho hcnd and napo; and
from tho crown of th9 hond, within this
brown pntch, rises bunch OF tall plumos
sometimes two, sometimes livo or six
which curvo forward and nod with a
proud and graceful motion OF which tho
bird seems distinctly conscious. Iii, chin
ana throat nro blnck, marrimod with n
white bnnd, which starts nj tho cyo and
PASSES around tho throat to tho othor eye
Tho valley quail congrcgnto in tho grain
ioldd nnd nlong tho ronds of tho cultivated
districts from tho Columbia 10 Cnpe ST.
Lucas, sometimes In such numbers ns to
DO nuisance, but generally In small
covevs, which rcmnin together except
during tho breeding soason. when the
pairs separate 10 tlnd scliedulod honor In
tho tiicketa. I'lor nests amount To moth
inS, hnd tho eggs aro not chnlk whito like
those OF tho Atlantic const species, but
moro crcnmy III color, aud marked with
drnb nnd brown IN n great variety OF
spots and stroaks. Tho "song'' of thia
quail, hoard In spring and early summer
Is hardly musical kucls- ltuck -kucl-kn
tho first three notes rapidly ropeated and
tho last prolonged with II falling infection.
Tho rules OF Eastern quail shooting do
not apply woll to this bird, which has II
worry different behavior whom hunted. 1t
docs not lilo well to tho dog, but runs
through tho tall grass. and if wounded