PARTRIDGES AND QUAILS: family Pcrdicidae [ 2.19 ] 



betrays them as they come waddling into the water for all the world like 

 a flock of barnyard hens. In an hour or two they have all gone, departing 

 as they came, walking some distance away from the watering place 

 before taking wing. 



The courtship of the Sage Hen is the most spectacular performance 

 staged by any of the grouse. Finley at various times has watched and 

 photographed this display and has given an account of it as follows (Bent 

 1931): 



When the sage cock starts to strut, his tail spreads and the long pointed tail feathers radiate 

 out in a half arc. The air sacs are filled and extend nearly to the ground, hiding the black 

 breast feathers. This is the first movement. Then the bird takes one or two steps forward 

 and throws up the pouch, apparently by drawing back the head and neck. The next move- 

 ment is a repetition of throwing the air sacs up and down and getting under headway for 

 the last toss of the pouch, which is brought down with a jerk, as one would crack a whip, 

 making a "plop" that on a quiet morning we easily heard for a distance of 2.00 to 300 yards. 

 The whole movement gives one the idea that the bird inflates the air sacs and then, by the 

 rigid position of the body and throwing the head and neck back, gives these air sacs a very 

 vigorous shaking. In the movement when the pouch spreads, the bare yellow skin on the 

 lower part of the pouch or chest shows clearly. As the pouch is thrown up and down, 

 the wings are held rigid, the tips of the wing feathers sometimes touching the ground. The 

 white feathers that cover the chest are exceedingly stiff; these grate against the wing feathers, 

 giving out a wheezy sound that at first I thought came from the inhaling and exhaling of 

 air. I soon discovered that this rasping noise was made by the stiff feathers rubbing together. 



The food of the Sage Hen consists largely of leaves of the sage, supple- 

 mented by a few leaves and seeds of other plants, and by miscellaneous 

 insects, including beetles of several kinds, ants, and grasshoppers. 



Partridges and Quails: Family Perdicidae 



European Partridge: 



Perdix perdix perdix (Linnaeus) 



DESCRIPTION. Smaller than a ruffed grouse but larger than our quail. "A very fine 

 vermiculated intermixture of black, white, rusty and cream on back, neck, and 

 breast, more rufous on lower back and nearly clear black and white with a general 

 greyish effect on breast. Wing-coverts sharply shaft-streaked with cream. Flanks 

 barred with white and chestnut. Face, throat, and superciliary line of tawny 

 chestnut. A conspicuous double spot or horseshoe mark of rich chestnut occupies 

 the upper abdomen. Sexes similar in coloration but female in duller tones." (Town- 

 send, 192.6.) Downy young: "Crown chestnut with a few small black spots some- 

 times extending to lines; back of neck with a wide black line down centre, at sides 

 pale buff marked black; rest of upper-parts pale buff with some rufous and black 

 blotches or ill-defined lines, at base of wings a spot, and on rump a patch, of chestnut; 

 forehead and sides of head pale yellow-buff (sometimes tinged rufous) with spots, 

 small blotches, and lines of black; chin and throat uniform pale yellow-buff; rest of 

 under-parts slightly yellower, bases of down sooty." (Witherby, through Bent.) 

 Si%e: Length 11.60, wing 6.50, tail 4.00. Nest: A slight depression in the ground, 

 lined with dead leaves, grass, or straw. Eggs: 8 to 2.0, uniformly olive. 

 DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds in western Europe. Introduced in many localities 



