i8o4 1 Shufelut, Photographing a Live GambeVs Partridge. I 2Q 



preening itself, as shown in Plate IV. One of the feathers of its 

 plume has its shaft broken, and it hangs down, otherwise the 

 picture is perfect. It will be seen that the bird is commencing 

 to close its eyes, and they are almost or quite closed during the 

 act of preening, so as to prevent their being irritated by the 

 feathers. Likewise it will be observed that the elevation of the 

 plumage for this act commences on the crown of the head, and 

 then extends down over the shoulders and upper part of the 

 breast. At this juncture, too, it will be noticed that the anterior 

 line of the facial mask and the line of the lower breast are 

 straight, and that they are parallel to each other. 



The next stage is an exceedingly interesting one to get a photo- 

 graph of, and the result in this case was decidedly successful. 

 It instantaneously follows what is shown in Plate III, and the 

 bird has turned its head, and is scratching the skin of its left 

 shoulder with its bill. It slightly elevates itself upon its legs, 

 and raises all the plumage of the body, as well as the second- 

 aries of the wings. The tail is slightly spread, but its upper 

 and lower coverts enter but very partially into the general act 

 of raising the plumage. 



Mr. H. C. Denslow, a very able and observing taxidermist, 

 was, at the time I refer, in the department of birds at the 

 National Museum, and he had made many studies of the pos- 

 tures of living Quails and Partridges with the view of using 

 them in his taxidermical work. He had closely watched speci- 

 mens of our Common Partridge ( Colinus viginianus} during 

 the times it preened itself and finally attempted to reproduce 

 one of these in a mounted specimen. 



His subject presents a female Colinus on the ground. She 

 has been preening, and is here shown just the instant before she 

 gives herself a final shake, prior to bringing the now cleaned 

 and dressed plumage down to her body again. Her head is 

 somewhat sunken between her shoulders, and all her body plum- 

 age is elevated. But the wing-feathers are but very slightly 

 raised, and the tail-coverts, very properly, not at all so. Mr. 

 Denslow has never seen my photograph here given in Plate IV, 

 and as it is very probable there is not another one like it in 

 existence, we must believe that, guided as he was by the eye 

 alone, he has attained to a very true result as shown in Plate V. 

 17 



