44 PARTRIDGES 



At first streak of dawn the family are 

 taken to dust themselves on the nearest 

 sandy bank or roadway, a practice of 

 which through life they are as fond as any 

 ancient Roman of his bath, and which 

 now helps to keep the young from wet 

 and chill until the sun is up to warm the 

 world. When the corn is led, they come 

 to the stubbles as soon as it is light, to 

 feed on the fallen grain, true perquisite of 

 the wild, all kinds of seeds and grasses, 

 spiders, slugs, beetles and such like. They 

 then retire for the day to such cover as is 

 available turnips, clover, or waste land. 

 They are particularly fond of a small 

 aphis, which is found on the under side of 

 turnip leaves in autumn. Late in the 

 afternoon they seek the stubbles once 

 more for the evening meal, and at dusk 

 the covey, collecting with much conversa- 

 tion, betakes itself to roost or 'jug,' 

 generally on some open and rising ground, 

 sleeping bunched in a circle, with the 

 heads pointing outwards, to guard against 

 the approach of danger. 



