The Forrest City times., 1891-01-03
THE HABITS OF BOB WHire."
1 A sportnan Writes About His Experience | with the Quail.

In studying the quail. says writer in Huntiag and Flashing, ono cannot fail to notice the almost complete change of habits in this bird which at. tends the transition from one season of the year to another. In the spring and summer the once shy and bevykeeping Bob White becomes individualized and tame--we say indiyidualized because, although mated, man and wife are al- ways one flesh just AS truly among birds as among human beings No longer in fiocks, Bob White turns up everywhere under your feet in the fields, especially if you haunt the vi- cinity of his nest and breeding mate. You will frequently see him running along by the fence, or even venturing out into the road. while his cheery. sweet song-for it is a song, albeit of but two notes-rings out again and again on the sunHy air.
 So tame and regardless of her own safety does the female grow in the nest ing season that not infrequently she will allow herself to be almost trodden upon before leaving the nest. and l have known late-brooding birds in grass meadows to sit fearlessly upon their nest until cut to pieces by the re. lentless knives of the moving machine.
 Young quail are perfect little ne- cromaucers. Almost as soon as they are out of the shell they seem to have the power of making themselves in- visible at the wave of wand. Wher- ever they go nobody can tell. The ground may be as bare as q floor. but somehow they manage to vanish utterly from the eye. And this is trick which they do not entirely forget as they grow older. It takes sharp-cved sportsman to see bevy of quail be- fore they rise, even if the dog is pointing right at them and the grass is us short IS it is on lawn.
 By August Bob White begins to take on different character altogether from that he has displayed during the spring and summer months. He ceases to perch himself in conspicuous places and sing for the delight of himself and his friends, both feathered and unfeath- cred. He no longer makes excursions into exposed and dangerous localities. nor does he trust to the friendiness of every human being who comes his way. Gradually he begins to assemble his family and nearest relatives into 1 little community conducted on the simplest communistic principles, and animated by one all-pervading desire l to get through the terrible open season without being brought to griddle.
 l That Bob White has developed re- markable powers for realizing this de- l sire every sportsman will readily ac~ 1 knowledge. No bird can place so many yards between itself and the gun | in two or three seconds as the lively little quail. It takes remarkable quick shot to get in both barrels effect lively at bevy of quail, even when the birds rise in the open and the sports man has an unobstructed view The almost irresistible tendency is to fire at the thick of 'em, " but, besides being sportsmanlike, this method is gen orally ineffective also; for. while it may now and then cripple bird. 1t oftener lets the whole beyy get away suscathed. or else sends two or three slightly wounded birds into the cover to die a cruel and lingering death. The phi- losophy of this result is easy enough to exlain. for. thickly as covey of quail may seem 10 the excited sportsman to fly together when they arc flushed. calm observation will show that the in- 1 tervals between the several birds are almost nearly as great as the spread of q charge of shot at thirty yards. Thus it will be seen that if the center of the charge falls in one of the intervals or spaces, AS it is just so much more like. 1 ly to do as the space is larger than a quails body. the only possible chance is that bird may be crippled by the outer pellets, and even this chance is small compared with the alternative. which has been previously stated. Therefore. my advise to the true sports man in quail-shooting Is to shoot one bird for each barrel; make clean kill or none at all. And if you are not skillful and quick enough at first to select bird for each barrel make sure of your first shot only. for time. un- | til you get so that you can drop your bird quickly and neatly; then begin to attempt your double on the principal which has been laid down. l made practice of concentrating my attention every time on what call the 'laggard" 1 that is. the bird nearest to me when the gua is raised, or If the bevs crosses me instead of going straight away it is the last bird in the line that fire at. This rule applies to the use 1 ot both barrels. Select the laggard sach time.