Northern Observations of Inland Birds 157 



among sheep and deer. A stag may lead the herd when 

 great boldness is needed, but an old hind sets the routine 

 of the day. Similarly among wild sheep, an old ewe is 

 invariably at the head of the clan ; it is she who leads 

 them from range to range, and at a certain season, when 

 her followers fall sick and know not which way to turn, 

 the old ewe, with years of experience behind her, leads 

 them into some distant range — perhaps to the seashore, 

 where the salt they so sorely need can be had for the 

 taking. 



Anyone who has watched partridges feeding will have 

 observed the parts played by the hen birds and the cocks 

 respectively. The hen bird is in the midst of her brood, 

 helping them to find food and calling them about her on 

 the discovery of it, much like a domestic hen with her 

 chicks, while the old cock of the covey hangs about in 

 the offing. He is not difficult to locate, for the reason 

 that every few seconds up goes his head, as he keeps an 

 alert look-out for danger. His vigilance never relaxes. 

 When danger is seen he remains upright, whereupon 

 the hen bird will be observed to crouch slightly, the chicks 

 following her example. Should the danger draw nearer 

 the male bird begins to move off a little distance, while 

 the hen and her chicks (possibly full grown by now) 

 simply fade into the brown level of the landscape. 

 Eventually the cock may rise into the air some little distance 

 from the covey, which remains squatting, and fly straight 

 away unaccompanied, the idea being, evidently, to 

 attract attention to himself, to invite pursuit, while the 

 hen and her chicks make off in the opposite direction. 



When the covey is surprised the male bird is the first 

 to rise, calling to the others, and thus, as a rule, he is 

 the first to fall. 



Anent the statement already made that a covey will 

 sometimes split up in order to search for its missing 



