524 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



Pheasants occasionally come down to the sands, and so 

 recently as October 1901, a hen bird flew over my head down 

 to low water mark and along the beach. 



Many curious nesting sites and incidents connected with 

 nidification might be mentioned, but one or two will suffice. 

 A deserted nest of a Ring-Dove was selected by a Pheasant 

 in which to lay fifteen eggs at North Stainley, near Ripon 

 (Nat. 1894, p. 174) ; and I am enabled to give an illustration 

 of a nest in a squirrel's drey, 22 feet from the ground, at 

 Plumpton. An instance of a Tawny Owl and a Pheasant 

 occupying the same nest, at the foot of a spruce fir 

 tree at Hambleton, is recorded in the Field, 21st May 1898 f 

 in the same journal for nth October 1902, is an account 

 of a hen Pheasant being flushed by Partridge shooters in 

 September from a nest of nine eggs at Mulgrave ; and on 

 the adjoining estate of Grinkle, Mr, W. Cook, keeper, told 

 me he had seen a cock Pheasant brooding ten eggs. 



White and pied varieties are common ; rufous, cream or 

 fawn-coloured, and mottled specimens have occurred ; whilst 

 an example of a hen assuming the plumage of the male, obtained 

 in North Yorkshire, is in the possession of Mr. George Parkin 

 of Wakefield {Nat. 1887, p. 45), and others have come under 

 the observation of Mr. F. Boyes. 



Two instances of hybridity between Black-game and 

 Pheasant are dealt with under the former species, p. 509. 



PARTRIDGE. 



Perdix cinerea {Latharn). 



Resident, generally distributed, abundant. 



The Partridge may claim ancestry of great antiquity in 

 this county, for we find, in the ordinances respecting the 

 price of victuals in the City of York, issued by Royal proclama- 

 tion, dated 1393, the value of a Partridge was placed at 2d. 

 In the Selby Abbey Accounts for the years 1413-14 is an 



