PARTRIDGE-SHOOTING. 805 



lofty mountains ; and it is very rarely that they intrude 

 upon each other's haunts, although it is quite possible to 

 kill the three species in one day. 



The partridge begins to pair in February, and at this sea- 

 son obstinate contests occur between the males for the pos 

 session of the other sex. They make no nest, but the female 

 deposits her eggs on the bare earth, under cover of a tuft 

 of grass, furze-bush, or other brush- wood, and not un~ 

 frequently in fields of clover, or amongst standing corn. 

 They amount to from twelve to twenty, and are of a pale 

 wood-brown colour. 



^ Incubation, which occupies three weeks, is performed 

 solely by the female, who sits very closely, and is with diffi- 

 culty driven from her eggs. Montagu mentions an instance 

 in which a partridge, on the point of hatching, was taken, 

 together with her eggs, and carried in a hat to some distance ; 

 she continued to sit, and brought out her young in confine- 

 ment. Several parallel cases have been known. As soon as 

 the young are excluded, the male joins the covey and exhibits 

 equal care and anxiety with the female for their support and 

 defence. There can be few persons conversant with country 

 affairs who have not witnessed the confusion produced in a 

 brood of young partridges by any sudden alarm ; or who 

 have not admired the stratagems to which the parent birds 

 have recourse, in order to deceive and draw off the intruder. 

 Their parental instinct, indeed, is not always confined to 

 mere devices for engaging attention ; but where there exists 

 a probability of success they will fight obstinately for the 

 preservation of their young, as appears from many instances 

 already recorded by different \mters ; one of which is suffi- 

 ciently striking, as narrated by Mr. Selby, who says, " for the 

 truth of which I can vouch. A person engaged in a field, 

 not far from my residence, had his attention arrested by 



