PARTRIDGES AS PETS 51 



January, 1890, during severe weather, a hen partridge 

 found her way into an outlying shed on a Surrey farm 

 where a few fowls were kept, and, making friends with 

 them, shared the food thrown to them daily. The 

 cock bird was too shy to do the same, but was always 

 seen skirting from thirty to forty yards off. The hen 

 bird so completely lost the fear of man as to take food 

 from the hand of the bailiff. When the month of April 

 arrived, and nesting operations became imperative, 

 this hen partridge disappeared with her mate and was 

 thought to have gone for good ; but when August 

 came round she reappeared, so no doubt she had had 

 her nest, satisfactorily reared her brood, and deserted 

 them when full-grown. She at once resumed her 

 suspended relations with the poultry, keeping them in 

 rigid discipline, scolding and driving them away if 

 they attempted to interfere ,with her feeding. 1 



A highly practical use for tame partridges kept 

 in freedom was discovered by the late Mr. Francis 

 Francis, who kept three tame birds on his place near 

 High Wycombe, and found them ' very useful in keep- 

 ing a good stock of birds dose at home. They seemed 

 to encourage the other birds to come close round the 

 premises, and coveys constantly jugged in my garden 

 and orchard. I have constantly seen one or two 

 1 H.S.C., Field, February 7, 1891. 



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