I'HE BLACK GROUSE AND THE PARTRIDGE. 147 



teen, and the cocks were acquiring their black 

 feathers in the beginning of August, when a cat 

 found them out, and having reduced their num- 

 bers to thirteen, these were for seciu"ity put into 

 a large open wire pheasantry, which was removed 

 on to fresh ground on puqDose. They all sickened 

 and died in about three weeks ; so it would 

 appear they will not bear confinement, when 

 young at any rate, although an old black cock, 

 who, to escape from a falcon, found his way 

 into our kitchen by smashing a pane of glass, 

 has Hved many months happily in a pheasantry. 

 Their foster-brothers, some pheasants confined 

 at the same time and in the same place, throve 

 well. This year we meant to leave them at 

 liberty until November ; but some wild black 

 game unexpectedly joined them early in October 

 and decoyed ours away. We have but little 

 doubt that they could be kept when their man- 

 agement was understood, and each hen would 

 probably lay about twenty eggs. They would 

 be a charming addition to our game birds in 

 L 2 



