AFFECTIOX OF THE PARTRIDGE. 19 



approaches near them, the cock bird will rise, giving a 

 peculiar plaintive cry to warn his family of the impending 

 danger. He will not fly more than three or four yards, 

 when he alights, running along the ground, with his 

 wings expanded, and displaying every symptom of dis- 

 tress, in the anxious hope of enticing the enemy from 

 the young ones. The hen bird will sometimes rise and 

 fly a short distance, returning swiftly to her young ones, 

 and then make every exertion to lead them to some 

 more secure spot. 



I have often seen these affectionate manoeuvres, and 

 it is gratifying to see such strong attachment dis- 

 played by these birds to shield their young from danger. 

 Should a hawk be hovering over the brood, previously 

 to his making his swoop to carry off one or two of 

 the young birds, the old birds have been seen to 

 attack the bird of prey at the risk of their lives. 

 \Mien the husbandmen are reaping the harvest, and 

 gleaners in many of the fields, it frequently happens you 

 find few birds in these parts, although you are sure that 

 some good coveys were bred on the farms, which had 

 been recently seen by the tenants or gamekeeper.* If it 

 is a hot day, the most likely places to find them will be 

 on the fallows, where they enjoy dusting themselves, 

 and also the meadows and artificial grasses where the}^ 



* In some coTinties where arable farming prevails and is skilfully 

 performed, and the fields divided by stone walls, which is the ease iu 

 some parts of Gloucestershire, the partridges are much puzzled where 

 to make theii' nests, more especially when there are no plantations or 

 small copses, furze, &c. When this occurs, the clover and artificial 

 grasses must be resorted to by the birds for the above purpose ; but 

 should the mowing take place early in the season, many of the nests 

 wo\ild certainly be destroyed. 



c 2 



