34 POULTRYKIND. 



nine eggs, white, marked with yellow; larger than a common hen's egg : 

 fhe generally lays them in a dry place and a molTy ground, and hatches 

 them without the company of the cock. When fhe is obliged, during 

 the time of incubation, to leave her eggs in queft of food, flie covers 

 them up fo artfully, with mofs or dry leaves, that it is extremely difficult 

 to difcover them. She often keeps to her nc(t, though ftrangers attempt 

 to drag her away. 



As foon as the young are hatched, they run after their mother, though 

 fometimes not entirely dif<?ngagcd from the fhell. The hen leads them 

 into the woods. They are hardy, and their, food is plentiful; but 

 their numbers are thinned by rapacious birds and beafts of every kind; 

 and ft ill more by their own contefts. The brood follows the mother a 

 month or two ; at the end of which the young males entirely forfake her, 

 and keep in harmony together till the beginning of fpring: then they 

 confider each other as rivals : they fight like game-cocks ; and are fo 

 inattentive to their own fafety, that often two or three are killed at a fhot. 



The BLACK COCK, is greatly fimilar to the foregoing in form and 

 manners; but is much fmaller, not weighing above four pounds; is al- 

 moft black (the hen grey), and has a kind of forked tail, flat, and di- 

 vided in the middle, the ends turning outward. They deepen in black- 

 nefs gradually ; and gradually acquire, as they become old, a number of 

 . white fpots on their tail. Sometimes eats fcarce any thing during two or 

 three months in winter. 



There is alfo a black cock, whofe tail is not divided, but full. 



Another kind, native of Courland, changes colours with the feafon. 

 Male and female are alike ; do not perch upon trees. 



Of much the fame general habits arc the RED COCK of Scotland, 

 that of the Alps, and the Ptarmigan : all may be known by the fcarlet- 

 ikin above the eyes. 



THE 



PARTRIDGE, and its VARIETIES. 



OF Partridges are two kinds ; the grey and the red. The red is the 

 largcft of the two, and often perches on trees; the grey, which is 

 common in England, is moft prolific, and always keeps on the ground. 

 Is found in every country, and in every climate; feems to adapt itfelf 

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