Il6 ON THE WING. 



culiar sound while strutting about and spreading his 

 tail-feathers ; or perhaps more like the barn-yard cock 

 when he flaps his wings before crowing, making a 

 noise which somewhat resembles that of the partridge 

 at a distance, and would probably be still more like it 

 if the cock's lungs were inflated with air. The noise 

 made by the partridge is called " drumming," be- 

 cause the bird in making it begins by striking his 

 sides at intervals, slowly at first, then gradually 

 faster and faster, keeping excellent time until the 

 sound becomes a regular roll, resembling the beat of 

 a drum, and which in a still day can be heard at 

 considerable distance. 



In August, when the broods of this bird are about 

 three fourths grown, the gunner can at times have 

 grand sport, and generally will soon fill his bag. The 

 young birds are much more tame than their parents, 

 and fly more clumsily, but will often get up to a satis- 

 factory speed. 



The European partridges are larger than ours, and 

 fly with much less velocity. They are much easier 

 game to kill, from the fact that they are found in open 

 turnip-fields, grain-fields, and hedges. Englishmen 

 who come to this country and hunt our partridges, 

 make at first but poor work, while the case is reversed 

 when our sportsmen visit England. 



Samuels, in his ornithology of New England, says 

 that in severe winter weather these birds dive into 

 the snow, to keep from freezing. I cannot vouch 

 for this statement, but presume it to be correct. I 

 have observed that, if frightened by being shot at, 



