RED-LEGGED rARTEIDGE. 45 



covey of nine birds shot in as many minutes by pursuing 

 this plan in a field of mangold. 



There are rarely more in a covey than from nine to 

 twelve birds. 



^^^len I Avas shooting in the island of Sardinia, many 

 years ago, in the months of November and December, I 

 was able to kill sometimes five or six brace of the red- 

 legged partridge, having the advantage of a variety of 

 low covers where the birds would occasionally lie close, 

 and in some parts of this island the red-legged partridges 

 were numerous. In two respects the red-legged differs 

 from the grey partridge. The former rarely or never 

 flock together, whilst in the latter part of the season I 

 have seen fifty brace get up in one field. They take 

 the precaution to secure themselves from the sudden 

 attacks of polecats, stoats, &c. by never remaining during 

 the night in coverts, but nestle together in the midst of 

 large fields far removed from hedges and coppices, 

 where they delight to haunt during the day. So far 

 back as the time of Charles the Second, several pairs of 

 the red-legged partridge were turned out at Windsor to 

 obtain a stock, but they are supposed to have mostly 

 perished, although some of them or their descendants 

 were seen for a few years afterwards. The late Duke of 

 Northumberland was in hopes of their increasing on his 

 estate ; but the late Earl of Rochford and the Marquis 

 of Hertford were at the most expense and trouble to 

 establish them in this country. 



Both these noblemen had not only numbers of the 

 birds sent over from France, but also imported a vast 

 number of their eggs, which were hatched under hens 

 and set at liberty at a proper age ; Mr. Daniel tells us, 

 that "in 1777 he found within two miles of Colchester, 

 a covey of fourteen ; they were in a very thick piece of 



