PARTRIDGE. 525 



item, " paid for catching .... Partridges at Crowle, 2s." 

 It appears in Leland's description of the Cawood feast, 

 at the enthronization of Archbishop Nevell, in 1466, when 

 500 " Partriges " were included in the provision made ; and 

 in the oft-quoted Northumberland Household Book, in 1512, 

 where the price of " Pertryges " was fixed at " ijd. a pece 

 yff they be goode " for Earl Percy's table at " Wressill and 

 Lekinfield." The bird is also mentioned in connection with 

 the marriage feast of Sir John Neville's daughter at Chevet, 

 near Wakefield, in 1526, " forty Partridges " being priced at 

 6s. 8d. ; and two years later, when Sir John was High Sheriff, 

 amongst his expenses were eighty Partridges at £1 6s. 8d. 

 Thomas Allis, in 1844, wrote : — 



Perdix ctnerea. — Common Partridge — Common in most parts ; 

 scarce about Halifax and Hebden Bridge. 



The life history of the Partridge has been so ably written 

 by authors of works dealing exclusively with sporting-birds, 

 that little remains to be related here on this well-known 

 indigenous species. It is generally distributed and abundant, 

 excepting in the Halifax and Skipton districts, and on the 

 highest mountains, where it is reported to be scarce. On 

 the lower slopes of the north-western fells, and on the borders 

 of the moorlands, there is a rather smaller race than the 

 lowland bird, and, probably from the nature of its food and 

 surroundings, it appears somewhat darker in colour, whilst 

 the flesh partakes slightly of the Grouse flavour. In some 

 localities this is referred to as the " little moor Partridge." 



Yorkshire can claim its quota of curious incidents connected 

 with the Partridge ; several cases are reported of the eggs of 

 common farmyard fowls being hatched, and the chickens 

 adopted, with the bird's own proper family {Zool. 1865, p. 

 9793 ; and Saunders and West, Field, 7th July 1900, and 

 27th September 1902). In the autumn of the year 1884 I 

 was witness of a remarkable incident of the tameness to which 

 these wild creatures may be brought with care and patience ; 

 the birds, two in number, were hatched from eggs set under a 

 bantam, and were reared by Mr. J. J. Emerson's gardener 

 at Easby Hall in Cleveland. For several weeks they lived 



