As soon as the male quail is heard that you wish to procure, you must advance softly to within fifty paces of his station, and place the tray amongst the wheat in such a position as will suffer it to fall level with the ground, to prevent the bird's passing under and escaping. Then retire a few steps back, when the quail will soon utter its song, to which reply with two or three notes, that when the quail is silent he may only hear one or two, from the call exactly resembling the cry of the female. If this is not done with care, the bird will suspect treachery, and will either retire or remain silent, and never after fall into such a snare; but if skilfully done, it is surprising to see how the bird proceeds directly to the call: if by chance he miss the trap, he will go so near as to be within reach of the hand; in this case it is best to retire softly to the other side of the trap and repeat the call, which will again attract it. There are some quails that know how to avoid the net, particularly if placed in too open and exposed a place. In this case it is safest to turn it in a corner at both ends, and thus when it tries to turn it becomes entangled. It is proper to notice, that in damp weather, or when it rains, the quail does not run, but flies immediately towards the call. It does this also in dewy mornings and evenings; dry days should therefore be chosen for this chase. In the pairing season, two, three, or even four quails may be taken at the same place. If no male is heard in the field, the call of the female must be well imitated on a larger and more powerful bird-call, and, if any males are within hearing, they will not fail to answer; the person must then advance quickly, placing the net so as to stop their road, and repeat the call. When a female is to be caught, it is best to employ a common net, such as is used to take quails in autumn; but this chase should be deferred till towards the end of harvest, when most of the corn is cut, and only a few pieces left standing, which serve to harbour numbers of these birds. Several nets are used at once, as many as six or eight; some of them are placed across the field of corn, and the others parallel to them at the extremity of the same field: this being done, the party go to the opposite side and begin to drive the quails into the nets in the middle of the field by means of a packthread stretched across the corn, having little bells suspended to it by threads, so as almost to touch the ground, two persons holding it, and as they advance shaking it from time to time. As soon as the prisoners are secured, the march is continued towards the nets at the end of the field; and in this manner great numbers of quails, both male and female, are procured either for the house or for the table.