PARTRIDGES 147 



of an Old Sportsman," ii. p. 20), and eleven on one 

 property (ZooL, 1881, p. 471). Partridges with 

 white " horse-shoes " have been frequently noticed. 

 Occasionally an approach to melanism has been 

 observed (Field, Feb. 7, 1891, and Zool, 1894, p. 

 34), while a pale grey variety (Ibis, 1864, p. 225) 

 and a chestnut variety, Perdix montana, Jardine, 

 from time to time attract attention (Field, April 9, 

 1892), the last-named more often in Scotland, and 

 particularly in Forfar and Aberdeenshire. 



The alleged enmity between Grey and E-ed- 

 legged Partridges is a fiction (ZooL, 1889, p. 119^ 

 and Babington, "Birds of Suffolk," p. 109). The 

 two species occupy the same fields, and will some- 

 times lay in each other's nests. It is only in the 

 pairing time that the cock birds become pugnacious 

 and drive away intruders. Hybrids between the two 

 species have been reported (Field, Oct. 26, Nov. 9, 

 1895, and Oct. 6, 1900), but the specimens called 

 hybrids shown to me were young "Red-legs," which 

 before moulting resemble the grey species about the 

 scapulars and wing coverts. A young "Red-leg" 

 has no black gorget, but some black-edged feathers 

 on the breast ; the outer secondaries are sandy-brown 

 with buff crossbars edged with black ; wing coverts 

 sandy -brown with dark markings on their inner 

 webs, and pale buff stripes down the shaft. 



The weight of a full-grown Partridge is about 

 14 oz. to 15 oz., but in Norfolk fine birds have 

 occasionally reached 17 oz. and even 18 oz. (T. J. 

 Mann, Field, Oct. 7, 1893). In Oct. 1885 two 



