Grey Partridge 45 



in that nest, and the bird was sitting, giving, as the time occupied 

 in laying 14 eggs, ig days, an average of 1.356 day to every egg 

 laid, or, roughly speaking, one egg in every 32 i hours in that 

 particular case. 



Taking a large number of nests on the same principle, during 

 a period of six years, I got an average result of one egg in 1.43 days, 

 or, roughly, 34J hours ; and, I believe, this represents a fair average, 

 taking one season with another, but it must be remembered that 

 birds that lay very early, say in the second half of April, are generally 

 slower than the May birds, and that cold weather retards the laying 

 very considerably ; a severe spell of frost still more so, and, indeed, 

 it not infrequently spoils the eggs alread}' laid. Moreover, I am 

 inclined to think that the hrst few eggs and the last eggs of a clutch 

 are produced more slowly than the middle numbers. Thirty-four 

 hours per egg is a fair average for the whole clutch, but it must be 

 understood that that time does not represent the exact time for 

 each separate egg. 



Partridges' nests are generally, though by no means alwavs. 

 well concealed, and the easiest wa}- to find them, as one walks along 

 a hedgerow, is to inspect the bottom growth and watch for any 

 signs of a run or track leading up the bank into the hedge. The 

 journeys of the birds to and from the nest cause a narrow beaten 

 track, across which they bend the herbage over more or less curtain- 

 wise, in order to conceal the run ; and, by just raising the curtain 

 with one's stick, and peering into the fence, one can generally tind 

 the nest. I think 15 eggs is about the average number the Gre\' 

 bird lays, but the number may be considerably higher or lower — 

 anything over 20 indicates, as a rule, that more than one bird has 

 been laying in the nest. 



Until the bird sits, the eggs are laid anyhow in the nest, one on 

 top of the other, with no attempt at order of any kind. Except at 

 the actual time of laying, the bird is awav from the nest ; but, and 

 this, for many reasons, is a very important point in the economy of 

 the Partridge, the eggs are always carefully covered over with dried 

 grass and other material before the bird leaves. Each time she 

 returns, she rakes the material to one side, lays another egg, and 

 replaces the cover before leaving. This instinct is, no doubt, of 

 verv real service to the species, as it helps to protect the eggs from 

 innumerable enemies during the long period (19 or 20 days) over 

 which the laying extends. Incidentally, I may say, that this habit 

 is found in widely separated families, e.g., the Grebes, who always 

 cover their eggs with decaying vegetable matter whenever they leave 

 the nest, even during the period during which they are sitting. 



On the day the last egg is laid, the Partridge for the first time 

 arranges the eggs in their proper position with great care, spreading 

 them out regularly and evenly, so that she can cover them to the 

 best advantage when she begins to sit. On this day, she leaves the 

 eggs uncovered, and on the following day she commences sitting. 



