QUAILS.

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canes, called cottini, contain an immense quantity of fish,tench, roach, eels, bass (perca punctata), and cefali, (greymullet). Of course the three latter species are mostvaluable. The river of Patria, to which this descriptionparticularly applies, after running through the region ofreeds at about a mile from, and parallel, to the sea, fromnear Castel Volturno to the tower of Patria, nearly twelvemiles, enters the lake of Patria, which although shallow, issix miles in circumference. A narrow estuary allows thesuperfluous waters to flow into the sea, but the storms ofwinter throw up such a quantity of sand at the mouth ofthe estuary, as to prevent any effectual drainage. More-over, the level of the sea is so little below that of the lakeand other waters, as to render their evacuation by thenatural pendage impossible. Recourse being had to themeans which I shall at the proper place describe, thesevaluable lands as well as the Pontini marshes may bereclaimed.

Now, the above are the main features of the Pontine, aswell as others of the Maremme mar slips. The region ofjuniper bushes, forms the first asylum of the quails, upontheir arrival, early on a fine May morning, after their night’sflight across the Mediterranean sea from the coast of Africa .Those who catch these delicious birds for the supply of themarkets, place vertical nets attached to poles, extending manyhundred yards along the shore, and about five fromthe water’s edge. The lower limb of the net is drawn up,so as to make a double or bag; the quails arrive in general,in a very exhausted state, especially if the least contrarywind has obstructed them, and they fly close to the surfaceof the water. Thus they strike against the net, and fallingto the bottom, are easily taken by the persons on the watch.Millions which escape the nets, throw themselves like stoneson to the sand, and roll into the nearest juniper bush, from