THE COLOURS OF PARTRIDGES 61 



appeared to be quite white, but on closer inspection 

 the brown markings on the plumage were faintly 

 traceable under the white, the birds having the ap- 

 pearance of having been washed over with a thin 

 coating of white paint. The markings were stronger 

 in the bird shot on October 15 than in that shot on 

 October 3. The legs of both were of a lighter colour 

 than those of the ordinary brown bird, and the eyes 

 were of a bright red colour.' By a curious co- 

 incidence, no fewer than eleven white partridges were 

 hatched on a property near Croydon in the summer of 

 1 88 1, five being hatched in one nest, a single bird in 

 another, two in a third, and three in a fourth. Ten of 

 the number were reared to maturity, when nine of them 

 were shot. Mr. P. Crowley examined one of the nine 

 the morning after it had been shot, and found the legs 

 of a dirty straw colour, and the eyes a pale grey-blue 

 with no distinct pupil. An interesting question is sug- 

 gested, as to how far the characters of albinism or leu- 

 cotism are liable to become hereditary. Unfortunately, 

 very few albinos or leucotic individuals live long enough 

 to give naturalists an opportunity of investigating the 

 characters transmitted to their descendants. There 

 cannot, however, be the least doubt that heredity 

 plays an important part in these matters, at least so 

 far as passerine birds are concerned ; we believe that 



