186 THE COMMON PAETEIDGE. 



the county, whole broods being found drowned in the 

 hay-fields; 1 and in the terrible winters of 1878-81 many 

 perished of cold. 



It pairs very early in the season, 2 as mentioned by 

 Grahame in the following beautiful lines : 



Bleak still, and winterly, o'er hill and dale, 

 Is nature's aspect : yet some pleasing signs, 

 Some heart-reviving preludes, faint and few, 

 Of Spring's sweet season, meet the eye or ear. 

 When calm the eve, I've heard the Partridge call, 

 And seen the pairing couple as they tripped 

 Athwart the wreaths that in the furrows lurk. 



The nest is generally placed amongst thick herbage at the 

 bottom of a hedge, or in a hay or corn field, and often 

 by the side of a road or footpath. It consists of a slight 

 hollow scraped in the ground, with a little grass or a few 

 dead leaves for lining, and in it, usually in May, are 

 deposited from ten to fifteen eggs of a uniform olive-brown 

 colour. Sometimes more than the number mentioned are 

 found in the same nest, but it is thought that in this case 

 they are the produce of more than one bird. Boys have 

 always had the reputation of being very fond of searching 

 for Partridges' nests. This is exemplified by the following 

 anecdote, for which I am indebted to my friend Mr. Hardy. 

 The Kev. Dr. Waugh of London, a native of Berwickshire, 

 on coming down from the pulpit of a church in Duns where 

 he had been preaching, was accosted by an old grey-headed 

 man, who inquired regarding his welfare. " But, man," said 

 the Doctor, " I dinna ken ye." " Do you no mind Tarn 



1 Mr. Hardy mentions that a well-grown brood of young Partridges with the 

 old birds covering them were found all drowned in the summer of that year in a 

 field near Oldcambus. MS. Notes. 



2 The French have a proverb which says : 



Quand la Chandeleur est arrivee 

 La Perdrix grise est mariee. 



They apply the term "vin de couleur d'oeil de perdrix" to a fine pale wine of full 

 body. 



