42 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE PARTRIDGE 



to safe cover ; as, for example, under the shelter of 

 some clumps of furze, that will screen them from 

 observation. The chicks mature rapidly, if the 

 weather is warm and kindly, with plenty of sunshine. 

 Of course, if the weather prove exceedingly hot, the 

 circumstances attending the rearing of the covey 

 become less favourable. On heavy clay soils the 

 earth is liable to contract and split into fissures, 

 which are veritable death-traps for partridge chicks. 



Not the least interesting feature of the hatching- 

 out period in the life of the partridge is the courage 

 which it develops in both parents. During the incu- 

 bation of the eggs the birds only desired to escape 

 attention as far as possible, and to elude the acute- 

 ness of prowling fox or thievish crow. But their 

 shyness becomes transformed into audacity if their 

 tender young are jeopardised. The attentions of any 

 interfering biped may be diverted by the pretty 

 strategy that suggests itself to many nesting birds. 

 Even the little blackcap warbler will adopt the time- 

 honoured ruse of simulating the actions of a wounded 

 bird, with a view to draw a stranger away from the 

 shrub that contains its callow family in their simple 

 grassy nest. The earnestness with which a hen 

 blackcap will endeavour to convince her enemy that 

 she has become crippled by some untoward accident 



