The National tribune., 1902-05-22
MUSIC BY THE QUAIL.
More Notes in Its Repertoire Than There
Are Commonly Supposed to Be

The quail is not held to he n musical
bird. yet it has more notes than the two
which make the ordinary call of Bob
White" and which by many people are
thought to make its entire repertoire At
this season, when mating has begun. ex-
cept in the country which is the quairs
northern limit, it has all of its calls at
command and uses them ALL
1t will continue to do so until the cold
days of Fall have come. when the Bob
White call will be dropped almost wholly
II is q very rare thing to hear a quail utter
these notes after September, for they form
its Spring call and, in Il sense, its counting
or love call.
1t is produced solely by the male. and
Is most common just when lovemaking is
general. 1t is an advertisement to the fe-
males that its utterpr is in the market and
is willing to go to housekeeping at least
that he is willing TO marry and permit his
wife to build the house, keep It and take
care of the young
Later in the Summer the call is Just as
common; but it comes then from males
which have fathered one brood and are
announcing their willingness to father an
other. This call is made by a repetition
Uf the note G of the musical scale, the sec
ond G. being just an octave higher
The assembly call used at any and all
times, even when the females are nesting
or are mOthering the young, consists of
two notes. with an interval OF n third, +
and \. the + being above the middle G., as
indeed are the tive Css used in the love call
There Is a musical comedy on the road
named Miss Bob White" but it is evil
dent to any man who has ever sduinted
over dOuble-barrel that its author is not
acquainted with heGways and minstrelsy
of Robert White on his native heath.
The male aUail il nupnacinus IittIa
beast. and its readiness to fight grows to
positive ardOr in the Springtime Even
on cold Winter days, when there is n light
snow falling and the hevy is making its
way in single file through some bit of un-
dergrOwth or across field, utterance of a
challenge by one hidden will set all of the
cocks to dancing about and looking for the
challenger
1t is a sound impossible to produce in
type. but is a short, soft, staccato Kissing
often repeated. 1t is inaudible to the hui
man ear at 30 feet. but the quail will hear
II farther and two Of them will often come
together across half an acre OF thicket In
these combats there are never, as far as
observation extends. any fatalities, but
one Of the warriors being soundly trOunced
will fly away when he has more than
enough.
The quail has one other note. which it
utters in fright or warning. which every
person who has hunted the birds has
heard 1t gives it when running along the
ground ahead Of dog or when disturbed
by human foot in their covert 1t is a
cheeping noise, not unlike the 'peeping'
of very young chickens.
The quail is not hooking bird or her
init thrush. and does not pose as u vocal
lst, yet its Bob White" call rings full and
true over the greening fields and it's as
sembly notes are plaintive and musical.
When the sun is setting in Summer or
Fail and the co-link-co,lank of cowbelIs
comes mp the lane, the plump little fiier
issues its summons to the wandering mem
bers of the bevy and it's voice adds home
likeness, comfort and enjoyment There
are many country sounds written of by
poets and essayists which are less deserv-
ing than these homely quarter songs.