French Partridge 55 



held French Partridges. But it was found that these birds could 

 not maintain themselves, or, at any rate, could not increase, except 

 under certain special conditions of soil and climate, such as only a 

 few parts of England, especially Norfolk and Suffolk provided. In 

 other localities they dwindled and died out. I believe at the present 

 time, a French Partridge is quite a rarity in a day's shooting over 

 something like three-quarter of the total acreage of England and 

 Wales. Where the environment was suitable, they became firmly 

 and permanentlv established. 



These were the days of tiint-locks and muzzle-loading guns, 

 long stubbles reaped with a sickle, and many other conditions which 

 are now obsolete. Partridges were then shot over dogs (setters and 

 pointers), and the wa\s of the French bird, very soon and very fairly, 

 caused a bitter outcry among the sportsmen of olden times. It 

 was found that their habits were entirely opposed to those of the 

 grey bird. At the sight or sound of danger, these latter birds 

 squatted tight, and hoped that the trouble might pass them by ; 

 the dogs winded them and stood, the guns came up, and the covey 

 as they rose, afforded a good chance to several guns. The French 

 birds, on the other hand, never squatted, but at the first sign of 

 danger began to run, wliether they were in stubble or root, and 

 continued to run until they were out of danger. The dogs, quite 

 unaccustomed to this novel kind of Partridge, would begin pointing 

 as they first got the scent, and then slowly and cautiously draw the 

 whole length of the stubble with the birds running in front of them 

 at an ever-increasing distance, only to see them finally top the 

 distant fence while the pursuers were still loo or more yards short 

 of it. 



It is no wonder that the Frenchmen were abused in those days. 

 Where they were numerous, they made shooting over dogs impossible 

 — the dogs themselves were spoiled. It was said, and I daresay 

 truly, that the French bird's example corrupted the grey bird, and 

 that they, in their turn, refused to lie to dogs as they had done in 

 former times. A great outcr\- arose against the French bird, and 

 in many places determined attempts were made to exterminate 

 them. The eggs were smashed when found, and the birds were 

 poached, and shot anyhow and anyway, and, in short, treated like 

 vermin. 



Mv sympathies are with the sportsmen of those days. To 

 them, the birds must have been an unparalleled nuisance, spoiling 

 their dogs, their tempers and their bags. But now all this has 

 changed. Partridges are walked up, or driven to the guns ; for 

 either of these forms of sport, certainly for the latter, the French 

 Partridge is equal to. and in some ways superior to his English 

 cousin. But they have got the bad name, and it sticks : turn where 

 you will in the sporting or natural history works connected with the 

 bird, you will find nothing but unqualified abuse. It is remarkable 

 that all the most violent philippics directed against this bird are 



