THE PARTRIDGES. 199 



support, stretch forward their neck, and striking out 

 their legs with great vigor, proceed rapidly toward 

 the shore; on approaching which, should they find 

 it too steep for landing, they cease their exertions for 

 a few moments, float down the stream until they 

 come to an accessible part, and by a violent effort 

 generally extricate themselves from the water." 



The plumage of the old males is very beautiful, 

 being almost wholly of a rich golden bronze, while 

 that part of the neck and head, which are mostly 

 bare of feathers, and the loose skin of the throat, 

 commonly called the wattle, are of different shades 

 of blue, purple, and red. They lose most of these 

 bright tints upon being domesticated, and after the 

 second year can scarcely be distinguished from the 

 common breeds. 



The Partridge family, to which we next invite 

 attention, has recently been increased in number by 

 the addition of several very interesting and beautiful 

 species. "VYhen Alexander Wilson wrote his Orni- 

 thology, his knowledge of this group was apparently 

 confined to the one species which he describes. 

 At a later date, when Audubon was instituting 

 his inquiries among the birds of our Western Ter- 

 ritories, he added three more, and still more re- 

 cently three or four additional varieties have been 

 discovered in the newly acquired territory of Cali- 

 fornia and New Mexico. The plumage of all the 

 species is plain, and the tints mostly sombre, but of 

 such exquisite blendings as give them a high rank 

 for beauty among the Birds of America. 



