64 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE PARTRIDGE 



decidedly French, as were the legs and part of the 

 head ; but the breast, back, tail, and upper part of 

 the head resembled those parts in the English bird. 

 M. Suchetet, who has devoted much time to the 

 investigation of hybrid birds, considers the inter- 

 breeding of the red-legged partridge and our bird as 

 being imperfectly verified. Nevertheless, he cites the 

 evidence of Monsieur Duvarnet, a member of the 

 Societe d'Acclimatation, who purchased an apparent 

 hybrid of this description from a poultry stall. ' Its 

 beak and legs were red. The feathers of the flanks 

 were those of the red-legged partridge, although 

 rather duller than usual. The wings and the re- 

 mainder of the feathers of the body were those of the 

 grey partridge, and slightly warmer in tint than 

 usual.' It may be pertinent to add that another 

 member of the Societe d'Acclimatation discovered 

 the eggs of the red-legged and common partridges 

 in the same nest, showing that the two species are 

 not as indifferent to one another's society as might 

 be supposed. M. Suchetet is disposed to think that 

 the common partridge has at any rate interbred with 

 one of the red-legged partridges, i.e. with the rock 

 partridge (Perdix saxatilis). 



Such a debateable subject as the weight of any 

 game bird would afford food for many opinions in the 



