30 PARTRIDGES 



neighbours across the Channel, we hated 

 and persecuted them so long as we mis- 

 understood them ; but now, happily, in 

 the partridge world as elsewhere, a better 

 understanding prevails, an entente cordiale 

 has been established, and it is no longer 

 deemed impossible for French and English 

 neighbours to live together in amity. 



Before the introduction of driving, 

 French partridges were very unpopular. 

 They have a marked proclivity for 

 running, and were equally annoying to 

 sportsmen, as detrimental to the manners 

 of young pointers, in dogging days. 

 They were also accused of driving away 

 English birds from their nests, though 

 under modern conditions this is certainly 

 not the case, the grey partridges generally 

 coming off best when it comes to fisti- 

 cuffs. Probably the truth was that 

 owing to the difficulty of getting up on 

 them when walking, many French par- 

 tridges survived to a ripe old age, and 

 the race suffered from the misdeeds of 

 individuals, any barren or bachelor old 



