174 On the Occurrence of some of the Rarer Species of Birds 



Station. It had nothing' the matter with it^ but ran right down 

 the Une into the middle of the station, as though it were impelled 

 to its fate, never attempting to use its wings ; and so it continued 

 running backwards and forwards on the line just under the platform 

 until it was caught and pocketed. It is astonishing at times how 

 many of these birds are killed by the telegraph wires at the side of 

 our railways, especially when first newly-erected ; though in time 

 they seem to become aware of the danger, and avoid it. I was 

 told by the late Mr. Norwood, one of the officials on the South 

 Western line, that a man who had charge of sis miles of line be- 

 tween Porton and Grateley picked up no fewer than eighty-four 

 Partridges killed in this way on his part of the line during the first 

 year after the wires had been erected, though in succeeding years 

 there were only one or two occasionally found. This seems a 

 large number, but the narrator assured me he spoke from personal 

 knowledge of the facts, and I had no reason whatever to doubt his 

 assertion. 



At times very rare birds are found killed in this way. Not long 

 ago a friend of mine brought me the wing of a bird he had picked 

 up on the line, which had evidently been thus severed by the bird 

 flying against the wires, and which he could not distinguish. It 

 proved to be the wing of a " Spotted Crake," which — although I 

 expect commoner than is generally thought — is by no means of 

 frequent occurrence amongst us. I once shot a very peculiarly- 

 marked Partridge, which I have always regretted was not preserved, 

 as I have never seen one like it since. The back was a very dark 

 mottled brown, not unlike the plumage of some Red Grouse, while 

 all the under parts were almost of a creamy white, affording a 

 wonderfully strong contrast. It was a hen bird, without the horse- 

 shoe. Pied varieties of this bird, or white ones, are not infrequently 

 met with. 



Perdix Rufa. " The French or Red-legged Partridge." If hand- 

 some plumage and superior size were the chief qualities to be re- 

 garded our friend "The Frenchman" would certainly take precedence 

 of his English relative. But these things pale before the greater 

 and more essential qualities in a game bird of good flavour to the 



