BIRD-LIFE ON THE MOORS IN SEPTEMBER. 81 



squatted iu a, rough tuft of grass under her nose, and found 

 it was a wounded Golden Plover. 



"While on the subject of scarce game-birds, I may mention 

 the Red-legged Partridge and the Quail. Of the latter, the only 

 one I ever saw in this country was killed by Mr. Crawhall, while 

 we were shooting together on September 22, 1870; it rose 

 from a hill-stubble above Frosterley, in Weardale, co. Durham. 

 Others have been obtained from time to time in the northern 

 counties, some even in winter ; but they can only be regarded 

 as stragglers, for the Quail is a most erratic species. The 

 Red-legged Partridge is quite unknown in the far north of 

 England, and is not included in Mr. Hancock's " Catalogue of 

 the Birds of Northumberland and Durham." I merely men- 

 tion it here, because I once killed one in the North Riding of 

 Yorkshire, within three or four miles of the boundary river, 

 the Tees ; it rose with some of the ordinary Grey Partridge 

 from a field of standing beans at Hilton, near Yarm, where I 

 was shooting with Colonel Hay, on September 21, 1877, and 

 I have seldom been more surprised than when I picked it up 

 and saw what it was. Red-legs, I believe, are not uncom- 

 mon now in Yorkshire, but it appears they never stray 

 across the Tees into Durham. In Portugal I have shot 

 these partridges on high heathery ridges, not unlike manj^ of 

 our Northumbrian moors, and considered them excellent 

 sporting birds, despite the bad character they bear at home. 

 Their pedestrian powers are unquestionable ; but among 

 heather, they cannot run much more than Grouse, and when 

 the covies are broken, the single birds lie as close as can be 

 desired. They only require good dogs and hard work. 



Having rambled so far away from the moors, and got 

 among the stubbles and turnips, I may perhaps trespass a 

 little further, in order to remark upon the great numbers of 

 small birds which, on the north-east coast, are always met 

 with among the root-crops while partridge-shooting in Sep- 

 tember. I daresay every one has noticed this feature of the 

 season, but perhaps without particularly considering how, 

 why, and whence these birds have come. Almost at every 

 step they flutter up in dozens from among the turnips or 



taties," and speed away. Blackbirds, Thrushes, Larks, and 



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