196 PARTRIDGE. 



immense numbers of grubs, wire-worms, and other noxious insects. 

 Indeed they are seldom numerous enough to do much mischief, 

 and the farmer never complains of a bird which gives so much 

 interesting sport, and is so delicious upon the table. 



The Partridge requires but very little help or protection. It 



will find its own food at all seasons, and is wary enough when the 



first few days of September are gone by, to avoid ordinary dangers. 



Its natural enemies are Hawks, cats, polecats, stoats, and weasels ; 



but more to be feared than all these, is the poacher with his net, 



when the covey is "jugged" for the night, for in one fell swoop 



they may all be destroyed. 



Secure they trust th' unfaithful field beset, 

 'Till hov'ring o'er them sweeps the swelling net. 



Pope— Windsor Forest. 



On the close covey, vexed with various woes, 

 While sad they sit their anxious mother round, 

 With dismal shade the closing net descends. 



Lkyden — Albania. 



Mr. J. F. Symonds, of Okeleigh, Hereford, was once shewn 

 an unoccupied cottage, in the empty rooms of which, an old 

 poaching sinner had nearly one hundred birds alive, waiting for 

 the dawn of September the first, to kill them, send them to market, 

 and to pocket his ill-gotten gains, whilst he leered at the thoughts 

 of giving " the Gents " much walking after the broods known 

 to have been hatched on the adjacent fields. This gentle- 

 man, however, may be easily guarded against, by the simple 

 measure of sticking up thorns over the fields the birds frequent ; 

 these fields can always be known with a little observation, for 

 Partridges often "jug" in the same field, and on the same spot, for 

 many nights in succession. This habit is well-known to the poacher, 

 who carefully watches at twilight before he works his deadly net. 



The number of Partridges on the whole is becoming less, not 

 only from the loss of shelter caused by closely-trimmed hedges, 

 and the closely-cut crops, but also from the increased number of 

 sportsmen. The bird, however, is very prolific, and with ordinary 

 winters and fine dry springs, there is no probability of its becoming 

 extinct ; favoured as it is, moreover, by most land-owners and land- 



