BIRDS. 155 



shire it now far outnumbers the old breed, but pure-bred 

 birds of either species are rare. 



PARTRIDGE B. Very common, and too well-known to 

 Perdix cinerta. need any description. White specimens 



occur sometimes, and in August, 1887, 

 there were five seen in a covey of twelve at Ensdon. 



RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE B. A much more brightly 

 Caccabis rufa. coloured bird, rare in Shropshire. In 



1877 one was killed at Charlton Hill 

 and another at Middletown. It has also been obtained 

 at Churchstoke, near the Breidden, Weston Park, and at 

 Willey, but at the last two places the eggs were in- 

 troduced and hatched by Common Partridges. It was 

 thought that they would be good sporting birds but 

 they turned out quite the reverse. When driven they 

 run rapidly along the ground instead of rising ; and they 

 fight with and kill the Common Partridge. 



Quail B. Resembles a diminutive partridge. In Shropshire 



Coturnix communis. it may be regarded as a regular summer 



Apl. Oct. visitor, though never numerous. Five 



were shot at Munslow, Sept. 5th, 1893. 



It probably nests often in the county, though the only 



recorded instances are : at High Ercall in 1878 a nest 



with thirteen eggs; at Waters Upton in 1881, (reared the 



young); at Montford Bridge in 1884, a nest with seven 



eggs; in 1885 a nestling found near Shrewsbury and sent 



alive to Mr. Beckwith ; and a nest with eighteen eggs 



found in 1893 at Hinnington, Shifnal, and identified 



by Mr. Paddock. 



Virginian Colin. A specimen of this American Quail is in the 

 C. Marylanda. Ha wkstone collection. It was shot on the estate 



