Sentence:  Quail combats were well known among the ancients, especially at Athens. [...] Another practice was to produce one of these birds, which being first smitten or <WSD>filliped</WSD> with the middle finger, a feather was then plucked from its head: if the quail bore this operation without flinching, his master gained the stake, but lost it if he ran away. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To strike, project, or propel with a fillip (that is, a finger released quickly after being pressed against the thumb); to flick.