The Partridge. 12 1 



that a single season rids us of the pest because their 

 Instinct fails to meet the exigency of the case. 



The common Partridge, or Ruffed Grouse of our 

 forests, knows how to protect itself from severe 

 winter weather by plunging beneath the light snow. 

 Its Instinct leads it to take advantage of the non-con- 

 ducting power of the snow to sleep in warmth and 

 comfort, while the storm is raging above. This act 

 is beautiful in its relation to the welfare of the bird, 

 and shows that Instinct is here wiser in its action 

 than the Intelligence of some men, who perish from 

 cold when they might protect themselves perfectly 

 with a covering of snow. But while the Instinct of 

 the Partridge teaches her to protect herself from 

 the storm by plunging beneath the snow, it does 

 not teach her that the falling snow may turn to 

 rain and be succeeded by cold ; which sometimes 

 happens, so that the poor bird is imprisoned by the 

 hard crust, to die of hunger or be dug out by some 

 prowling fox that thus finds a Partridge ready trap- 

 ped for him. It is not uncommon to find the evi- 

 dence of such mistakes of Instinct, or want of in- 

 stinctive foresight, in our New England forests late 

 in winter. The Instinct of the bird which leads 

 her to seek protection in the snow, is upon the 

 whole,good. It contributes to the comfort and safe- 

 ty of the species, while it sometimes works injury to 

 the individual bird. This is another example of 

 the great law of nature, that there shall be a con- 

 stant struggle for existence — that no individual of 

 any species, can be perfectly protected against acci- 

 dents and early death ; and that Instinct itself, 

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