282 Lloyd's natural history. 



flushed, occasionally perch on a neighbouring tree, which the 

 Grey Partridge, so far as we are aware, never does. In the 

 pairing season the Red-legs are very pugnacious, fighting 

 fiercely not only with the males of their own kind, but also 

 with those of the Grey Partridge, which, being much smaller 

 birds, are in most cases driven from the field. Eggs of the 

 latter species, as well as those of the Common Pheasant, are 

 sometimes found in the nests of C, riifa, and are doubtless laid 

 there by the females instead of in their own nest, an irregular 

 habit by no means rare among Game-Birds." 



Nest. — " A hollow scratched in the ground under the shelter 

 of a hedge, tall grass, or growing crops." (Grant, I.e.) 



Eggs. — " Ten to eighteen in number, and sometimes more. 

 Pale stone-colour or buff, more or less thickly dotted and 

 spotted, and sometimes blotched with dark reddish-brown. 

 Average measurements, 1-55 by 1*2 inch." (Grant, I.e.) 



THE TRUE PARTRIDGES. GENUS PERDIX. 



Ferdix, Brisson, Orn. i. p. 219 (1760). 



Type, P. perdix (Linn.). 



The genus Perdix^ of which our well-known Partridge is the 



type, has the feathers scarcely extending below the tibio-tarsal 



joint, and the tail-feathers are sixteen or eighteen in number. 



The first primary is intermediate in length between the seventh 



and eighth, and the fourth is slightly the longest. The feet 



are without spurs in either sex, and the plumage of both is 



alike or slightly different. (Cf. Grant, in Allen's Nat. Libr. ix. 



P- I43-) 



Four species of Perdix are known, viz., P. perdix of Europe, 

 P. dauriea of North-Eastern Asia, P. hodgsonicB of Thibet, and 

 P. sifaniea of Kansu. 



\. THE COMMON PARTRIDGE.* PERDIX PERDIX. 



Tetrao perdix^ Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 276 (1766). 



* Mr. Ogilvie Grant's account of the difference of the plumage in the 

 sexes is most interesting and is quoted here in exlenso. 



