HABITATION.--This species is a native of India and China, from which it has been brought to Europe. It is very common among our peasants, who fancy it has the power of curing their colds and rheumatisms[122]. They assign these poor birds some grated place near the stove, sometimes under a bench; if they are allowed to range, their wings must be clipped, to prevent their flying against the windows, and breaking them. They will generally run under the stove, as they are fond of warmth. They may be accustomed to the dovecot, but their showy plumage often occasions them to fall a prey to carnivorous birds. It is also necessary either to warm the dovecot, or remove them to a heated room during the winter. FOOD.--They prefer wheat, and this should be their common food; they will also eat millet, linseed, poppy, and rape-seed, and even bread. The peasants give them the siftings of their corn. BREEDING.--A piece of fur, or soft stuff, or still better, a little basket, serves as the foundation for their nests. To this they merely add a little straw, on which they lay two white eggs. They sit on these a fortnight, but rarely hatch more than one, either from the egg being unfruitful, or from the carelessness of the parent birds. It is therefore rare to see them rear six young ones in the year. These resemble the old ones, and the sex is known by the absence or presence of the reddish colour. DISEASES.--Besides decline, they are subject to all the diseases that attack the persons shut up in the same room; small-pox, when the children have it; swollen legs, when any one is attacked with this complaint; and tumours in the feet, when these are prevalent. Thus we see they partake of the diseases of their masters, but without curing them, which is contrary to the ridiculous persuasion of the ignorant peasant. Yet with all these evils they will live seven years. ATTRACTIVE QUALITIES.--These birds are very neat and gentle. Their cooing resembles laughter; but, besides this, the male has other tones still more tender, to invite his mate to come to the nest, and he passes the night close to her side. When he coos he does not turn like the domestic pigeon, but hops forward a little, then stops, bends his head to the ground, and swells his crop. [Illustration: THE QUAIL.] POULTRY. CHARACTERISTICS.--These birds are characterised by the beak being raised, and the upper mandible being arched, so that the edges of it go beyond those of the under mandible. The nostrils are covered with a convex cartilaginous membrane; the tail is composed of more than twelve feathers; the toes are connected as far as the first joint. Most of the species feed on grain, which is softened in their crops. I only know of six species that can be tamed in the house. THE COMMON PARTRIDGE. Tetrao Perdrix, LINNÆUS; La Perdrix grise, BUFFON; Das gemeine Rebhuhn, BECHSTEIN.