and listened regularly for the musical white, white, white that came in return from a lady quail down in the thicket. 音乐版的哇，哇，哇会时长听到，叫声是下面灌木丛里雌鹑发出来的。

　　When this calling and answering had gone on for some time, Bobwhite flew away, 叫声的相互回应持续了一段时间，这时山齿鹑飞走了，

　　and his wings made such a whirring sound and struck so fast that this fact alone showed him to be a member of the partridge family. 它的翅膀发出了如同呼呼的声音，煽动翅膀的频率快，仅凭这一点就能证明它是山鹑家族一员。

　　He is the smallest of all the partridges, and is known in parts of the South as the Virginia partridge. 它是所有山鹑中体型最小的，人们知道南方部分地区有弗吉尼亚山鹑。

　　Mrs. Bobwhite and Her Brood 山齿鹑女士和她的孩子们

　　At first Bobwhite could not locate the shy little lady quail who had been calling to him from the thicket; 起先，山齿鹑无法找到害羞女士的确切位置，她一直在灌木丛召唤他；

　　but he finally discovered her picking away for dear life at weed seed, 最后他终于找到了，她正在慌忙地摘杂草种子，

　　just as though breakfast was much more to her taste than love-making. 好似早餐比谈情说爱更对她的胃口。

　　For a long time she would take no notice of him, but he strutted up and down so long that she finally looked up. 很长一段时间她都没有注意到他，公山齿鹑前后踱步了很久，终于雌山齿鹑抬头看了看。

　　Little by little, bobwhite gained her goodwill, until at last she would let him help her scratch for weed seeds. 一点一点，她对他起了好感，她最终允许公山齿鹑帮她寻找杂草种子。

　　They spent a very pleasant forenoon together, and the thing was as good as settled. 它们度过了愉快的上午，这件事情解决了。

　　About ten days later Mr. and Mrs. bobwhite selected a place for their nest. 大约十天后，山齿鹑先生和夫人为它们的巢穴选择了一处地方。

　　It was under the edge of an old fallen log, well screened from view and sheltered from the rain. 地点在掉落的老旧原木的边缘下面，很隐蔽，而且可以遮雨。

　　Each day for more than two weeks Mrs. bobwhite laid an egg in the nest, until the number was sixteen. 两个多星期以来，山齿鹑女士每天都会在巢穴中下蛋，直到达到16个。