288 The Partridge or Quail. 



mon with those of other countries, cannot bear close confinement; 

 they may appear for a time to thrive, still, if too much restricted in 

 their movements, invariably die. We unfortunately, during the 

 last winter, lost several fine birds that were presented to us by 

 our friend G. D. Wetherill, Esq., owing, we suppose, to the small- 

 ness of the cage in which we had temporarily placed them." — 

 From Lewis' American Sportsman, 



This bird feeds upon seeds, berries and various grains, in the 

 open fields, and is particularly fond of Indian corn. Its note is a 

 clear loud whistle, composed of three notes, the first and last 

 nearly equal in length, and louder than the intermediate one. In 

 the breeding season the call of the male consists of three notes, 

 having a fancied simularity to the words Ah Boh White, which 

 he repeats from a fence, stake, or low branch of a tree for hours 

 together. At night they rest upon the ground, either in the grass 

 or under a log or other cover. When there is a flock of them, 

 they dispose of themselves in their resting place in a circle, their 

 bodies touching each other, and their heads outward. This 

 arrangement enables them when alarmed to fly away in difierent 

 directions at once. They are easily caught in snares, and when 

 kept in cages on coops, soon become very fat, but all attemps to 

 domesticate them have been unsuccessful. In the autumn they 

 perform occasional migrations in the manner of the wild turkey, 

 their flight is rapid, and performed at a short distance from the 

 oTound. They are said to live from seven to ten years. 



In Eastern Canada the Grouse is commonly called a Partridge. 

 The true American Partridge, the subject of this notice is, 

 however, a very diff"erent bird. The following is a discription of 

 this species, taken from Wilson's Ornithology. We shall give a 

 synopsis of the genera of the family to which it belongs in another 



place : 



" The Partridge is nine inches long, and fourteen inches in 

 vextent ; the bill is black ; line over the eye, down the neck, and 

 whole chin, pure white, bounded by a band of black, which des- 

 cends and spreads broadly over the throat ; the eye is dark hazel ; 

 down neck and upper part of the breast, red brown ; sides of the 

 neck spotted with white and black, on a reddish brown ground ; 

 back scapulars and lesser coverts, red brown intermixed with ash, 

 nnd sprinkled with black; tertials edged with yellowish-white, 

 beautifully marked with numerous curving spots or arrowheads 



