QUAIL (kw5.1), sel'awv; Sept. artryon rfrpa,or-itt-gom-ay'lrah, land-rail), occurs in Exod. xvi:13; Num. xi:31, 32; Ps. cv. 4o.
(1) Classification. Quails form a subdivision of the or grouse family, being dis tinguished from partridges by their smaller size. finer bill, shorter tail, and the want of a red naked eyebrow and of spurs on the legs. There arc several species, whereof the common, now distin guished by the name of Coturnis dactylisonans, is abundant in all the temperate regions of Europe and Western Asia, migrating to and from Africa in the proper season. Thus it crosses the Mediter ranean and Black Seas twice a year in vast multi tudes; but being by nature a bird of heavy flight, the passage is partially conducted by way of inter mediate islands, or through Spain; and in the East, in still greater numbers, along the Syrian desert into Arabia, forming, especially at the spring sea son, innumerable flocks. They alight exhausted with fatigue, and are then easily caught. Guided by these facts, commentators have been led to identify the Hebrew selawv with the quail ; al though other species of partridges, and still more of Ptcrocics ('sand grouse'), abound in Western Asia; in particular Ptcrocics Alchata, or Attagen, which is found, if possible, in still greater numbers on the deserts, and has been claimed by Hassel quilt as the sclav of Exodus. But the present Arabic name of the quail is sclwa; and the circum stances connected with the bird in question—found on two occasions by the people of Israel in and around the camp so abundantly as to feed the whole population in the desert (Exod. xvi and at Kibroth-Hattaavah, both times in the spring —are much more applicable to flights of quail alighting in an exhausted state during their peri odical migration, than to the pterocles, which does not proceed to so great a distance, have very pow erful wings, is never seen fatigued by migration, is at all times a tenant of the wilderness far from water, and which, strictly taken, is perhaps not a clean bird, all the species subsisting for the most part on larva, beetles, and insects. We regard
these considerations as sufficient to establish the accuracy of the Authorized Version.
Of a bird so well known no figure or further particular description appears to be necessary, beyond mentioning the enormous flights which, after crossing an immense surface of sea, are an nually observed at the spring and fall to take a brief repose in the islands of Malta, Sicily, Sar dinia, Crete, in the kingdom of Naples, and about Constantinople, where on those occasions there is a general shooting-match, which lasts two or three days.
(2) Miraculous Provision of Quails. The providential nature of their arrival within and around the camp of the Israelites, in order that they might furnish meat to a murmuring people, appears from the fact of its taking place where it was not to be expected; the localities, we pre sume, being out of the direction of the ordinary passage; for, had this not been the case, the dwell ers in that region, and the Israelites themselves, accustomed to tend their flocks at no great dis tance from the spot, would have regarded the phenomenon as a well-known periodical occur rence. C. H. S.
In their flight quails skim along the ground, which seems to be the meaning of the expression, "two cubits high." Prudently making provision for the future, the Israelites would spread out their flesh to dry, as Herodotus tells us the Egyp tians were accustomed to do. It is believed that the "homers" in Num. xi :32 does not denote the measure of that name, but rather "a heap," which is sometimes the meaning of the Hebrew word.