CUNNING QUAIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20958, 22 August 1931, Page 4 (Supplement)

CUNNING QUAIL.

By LUCY FYEKS, M.8.G., Rangiriri, Lower Waikato. (Age IG.) Original. Ono spring morning a largo, black hawk circled high over a few rushes in a paddock. Hound and round he went, rising up higher and higher, then all of ;i sudden he dropped, steadied himself, circled, dropped again, and as lie dropped there rose from their feeding ground a mob of quail, and (lew about'two hundred yards I<> a small clump of manuka scrub. The hawk regained himself, and flapping awkwardly, flew awav over the hill out of sight,. He had only been gone a minute when back he came, headed straight for the clump of manuka, and seated himself in the tallest tree to wait. He remained there for about half-an-hour, then one of the quail, after much talking, flew out and made for the teatree covered hill. The instant he rose the hawk left the tree-top, and at the same time the whole mob of quail rose from their cover and flew out; this rather upset the hawk'« calculations, for he ceased to chase the first one, which was gaining fast, and ho turned for a nearer prey, but this one, finding himself chased, doubled on his track and flew back to the scrub. By the time the hawk had turned himself, he found he had been baulked of a meal, for fho others had vanished. They had reached the tea-tree hill in safety.. I