286 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



always makes us smile. Often at lunch-time have we started 

 him on the Partridge question, merely for the fun of hearing 

 him argue and stick to his opinion and that of his fore- 

 fathers ; and his politely incredulous smile on being shown, by 

 the help of a knife, that some particular bird with a large 

 horse-shoe mark really was a female by dissection, had to be 

 seen to be appreciated. But there are some people who will 

 never allow that they are mistaken, and as long as this good 

 man remains we may safely look forward to many a half-hour's 

 amusement, though the dissection of numerous Partridges 

 does not meet with our host's entire approval. It must be 

 added that barren females are sometimes met with in more or 

 less perfect male plumage. One barren female (by dissection) in 

 the National Collection, has an enormous chestnut horse-shoe 

 mark on the breast, while the wing-coverts have one web of each 

 feather like that of the male, and the other barred as in the 

 ordinary female. This, and one other example, are the only 

 two that have come under our notice, though we have examined 

 thousands of birds, and we may safely conclude that they are 

 by no means common." 



Varieties. A curious rufous variety of the Common Partridge 

 (see vol. ix. pi. xii.) was first described under the name of Perdix 

 montana by Brisson,* who believed it to represent a distinct 

 species. This is not, however, the case, as every intermediate 

 phase of plumage between the Common Partridge and the 

 most extreme chestnut form can be found. The finest 

 examples of this variety have the whole head and neck dull 

 rust-red and the remainder of the plumage dark chestnut, 

 except the thighs and lower part of the belly, which are 

 whitish, as well as some bars and markings on the wing-coverts 

 and scapulars. Brisson's specimens were obtained in the 

 mountains of Lorraine, but fine examples have also been pro- 

 cured in Northumberland, Cheshire, and Wiltshire in England, 

 as well as from other localities, and there can be no doubt 

 that this form is merely a sport of nature or accidental variety 

 in which the chestnut colour pervades the whole plumage. 

 Equally perfect examples of both sexes have been obtained. 

 Grey, cream-coloured, and white examples of the Common 



* Orn. i. p. 224, pi. xxi. fig. 2 (1760). 



