PARTRIDGE. 337 



a Kite has been hovering over a covey of young Partridges, 

 the old birds fly up at the Kite, screaming and fighting with 

 all their might to preserve their brood. Their desire to go 

 to nest, and their partiality to a young brood, is sometimes 

 shown in another manner. In 1808, at Mark's Hall, in 

 Essex, Payne the gamekeeper noticed a brace of Partridges, 

 whose nest had been destroyed, taking to a nest of Pheasant"'s 

 eggs, the hen of which had been killed by accident. The 

 Partridges hatched and brought up ten young Pheasants. 

 The keeper frequently showed his master, Colonel Burgoyne, 

 and others, the old Partridges with the young Pheasants, at 

 different periods of their growth.* 



During the day a covey of Partridges, keeping together, 

 are seldom seen on the wing, unless disturbed ; they frequent 

 grass fields, preferring the hedge sides, some of them picking 

 up insects, and occasionally the green leaves of plants ; others 

 dusting themselves in any dry spot where the soil is loose, 

 and this would seem to be a constant practice with them in 

 dry weather, if we may judge by the numerous dusting- 

 places, Avitli the marks and feathers, to be found about their 

 haunts ; and sportsmen find in the early part of the shooting- 

 season, that young and weak birds are frequently infested 

 with numerous parasites. In the afternoon the covey repair 

 to some neighbouring field of standing corn, or if that be cut, 

 to the stubble, for the second daily meal of grain, and this 

 completed, the call-note may be heard, according to White, as 

 soon as the beetles begin to buzz, and the whole move away to- 

 gether to some spot where they jug, as it is called, — that is, 

 squat and nestle close together for the night ; and from the 

 appearance of the mutings, or droppings, which are generally 

 deposited in a circle of only a few inches in diameter, it would 

 appear that the birds arrange themselves also in a circle, of 

 which their tails form the centre, all the heads being out- 



* Daniel's Supplement, page 397. 

 VOL. II. Z 



