NATURAL HISTORY 45 



At three months the young birds are 

 practically full-grown, and, undergoing 

 the autumn moult, begin closely to re- 

 semble the old birds in appearance. 

 When winter sets in, the diet of the 

 covey is limited by force of circum- 

 stances ; the ploughed stubbles afford 

 them some pickings, which, with weeds 

 from the hedgerows, grass, turnip leaves, 

 and, when they can get it, young clover, 

 are all they have to rely on. In times of 

 protracted frost they suffer in common 

 with all other wild vegetarians or insect- 

 feeders, only the carnivora then reaping an 

 easy and plentiful harvest. 



Few birds feel the influence of coming 

 spring so early as the partridge; a few 

 warm, sunny days late in January, and 

 the family which has lived together from 

 the nest begins to disintegrate. The 

 cocks, of which there are naturally a 

 slight preponderance, fight freely, but for 

 most part innocuously. So long as the 

 fine weather holds, pairing goes forward 

 apace, but a snap of cold reunites the 



