COMMON AND FRENCH PARTRIDGES 75 



Chief Features. — Easily identified by black and white plumage, 

 long legs, and orange-yellow bill. One of the chief sentinels of 

 the seashore, and an engaging bird at all times. 



Plumage. — Jet black and pure white; orange-yellow' bill ; crimson 

 irides; purplish-pink legs and feet. Length. — Sixteen inches. 



PARTRIDGE (Perdix cinerea) 



Local Names. — Bird, Grey Partridge. 



Haunt. — Fields, meadows, and hedgerows. 



Nesting Period. — May and early June. 



Site of Nest. — Under a hedge, or in a field or coppice. 



Materials Used. — Dead leaves and grass. A flat structure. 



Eggs. — Six to Twenty; twelve to sixteen is a good, average clutch. 

 Pale olive-brown or bluish-green. 



Food. — Weed seeds of various kinds, also buds, green leaves, and 

 grain. The young are fed on insects and their larvae. 



Voice. — A harsh, complaining note, which may be compared to 

 " kirr-rr-ric " or " turwit." Alarm-note, " agick-agick." 



Chief Features. — Mostly regarded because it is such a good sporting 

 bird. It is more of a wild bird than the Pheasant. Asso- 

 ciates in coveys after nesting, these being made up of family 

 parties. Horse-shoe patch on breast of male very characteristic. 



Plumage. — Grey and reddish -brown, speckled with black; horse- 

 shoe patch of chestnut on lower breast of male. Length. — 

 Twelve and a half inches. 



PARTRIDGE, RED-LEGGED (Caccabis rufa) 



Local Names. — French Partridge, Guernsey Partridge. 



Haunt. — Fields, meadows, and coppices. 



Nesting Period. — April to June. 



Site of Nest. — Hedges and fields ; sometimes on thatched buildings. 



Materials Used. — Dead leaves and grass. 



Eggs. — Twelve to Eighteen. Cream-coloured, 



closely blotched and spotted with reddish 



or cinnamon-brown. Much larger than 



those of the Common Partridge. 

 Food. — Weed seeds, grass, clover, grain, 



insects, etc. 

 Voice. — Alarm - note, "a - shuck - a - shoe," 



" clik-clik-clik-ee-o." Call, " cocileke." 



Male, when pairing, cries " lasibio," " er- ^L^^Partrfd^" 



chuck-er-choo," and " er-chuck-chuck- 



erk." Other calls and cries are uttered in Summer and Winter. 

 Chief Features. — One of the most curious features about this bird is 



