36 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE PARTRIDGE 



The young partridges reared by foster-parents 

 become most confiding and animated pets, taking 

 their place, if permitted, amongst the various species 

 which assemble in the yard of the home farm at 

 feeding time. It is far better, however, that the wild 

 birds should be secured from accident, and allowed 

 to rear their young from the first, leading the chicks 

 to the best feeding grounds, and calling them to 

 secure any specially dainty morsels that they have 

 had the luck to disturb and drive out from their 

 hiding-places. The wiles and shifts which partridges 

 adopt in order to divert attention from their broods 

 are well known to the majority of people, and very 

 charming they must be confessed to be. 



