52 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE PARTRIDGE 



coveys ; I once counted twenty-four on my lawn 

 within ten yards of the house. It was a pretty sight. 

 One would see two or three rabbits, one or two 

 perhaps just peeping out of the green shrubs or 

 hopping about the lawn, or perhaps gravely sitting up 

 and prospecting, while the partridges slowly pecked 

 their way onward ; now and then one would stop to 

 stretch a wing, or scratch the back of his head with 

 his foot, a curious habit with partridges ; then one or 

 two would suddenly crouch down as close as possible 

 to the turf, and others would stretch themselves up 

 to their full height, looking round alarmed ; then, a 

 sudden scurry would take place, and away they would 

 all run like racers, into the shrubberies or down into 

 the ha-ha. The rabbits, catching the alarm, would 

 pop into the geraniums or shrubs out of sight. A 

 stray squirrel or two, mayhap, seized also with the 

 panic, would scurry away up out of sight into the tall 

 firs ; while half-a-dozen blackbirds and thrushes, which 

 had been industriously occupied with the worms and 

 grubs, would twitter off to some favourite thorn-bush 

 or evergreen until the alarm had subsided. Presently, 

 after ten minutes of quiet, one partridge would run 

 out, then another, and another ; then a rabbit would 

 peep out from amongst the tall geraniums, and seeing 

 all secure, would hop out and commence nibbling the 



