188 THE COMMON PAETEIDGE. 



mostly black, shading into buff towards the extremity ; 

 each feather has a fairly wide buff shaft -stripe, and is 

 also transversely and somewhat irregularly barred with 

 buff, narrowly edged with black. 



" To put it more simply, for those who are not versed 

 in the technical names given to the different parts of the 

 plumage. Having looked at the sides of the neck, and 

 seen whether they are grey or brown, with pale buff lines 

 down the middle of each feather, turn the Partridge back 

 uppermost and examine the smaller feathers which cover 

 the upper parts of the wings. If they are sandy-brown, 

 blotched with chestnut, and with small black lines across 

 them, the bird is a cock ; if they are mostly black, with 

 conspicuous buff cross bars, the bird is a hen. The buff 

 cross bars on the wing coverts are an unmistakable char- 

 acter, and quite sufficient to distinguish the hen at a glance. 

 The Partridge assumes the adult plumage of these parts of 

 the body at the first moult ; and, consequently, the above 

 differences are strongly marked before the commencement 

 of the shooting season, except in late broods." ^ 



This species does not vary much in its plumage, but 

 occasionally white, pied, and light-coloured birds are ob- 

 served. Mr. Kelly mentions that several pure white broods 

 frequented the farms of Boon and East Mains, near Lauder, 

 for many years ; ^ and Mr. Thomas W. Walker, gamekeeper 

 at Edington, tells me that five very light or cream-coloured 

 specimens were to be found on the farm of Whiterig, near 

 Ayton, a few years ago, but have now disappeared.^ An 

 example with the primary feathers of the wing nearly pure 

 white was shot by Lord Binning at Mellerstain in October 

 1865 ; and another having a horse-shoe mark of the same 



1 The Field of 21st November 1891, p. 795. 



2 Hist. Ber. Nat. Club, vol. viii. p. 146. 



3 Letter dated 22ud February 1892. 



