52 PARTRIDGES 



be regarded as a normal factor in the 

 life of the partridge. 



On heavy lands partridges are much 

 troubled by the soil clogging on their 

 feet. A ball of clay is formed, which will 

 grow, in wet weather, till the unfortunate 

 bird can scarcely move, and is left by 

 the covey to pine and die. In some 

 cases this ball has been known to reach 

 a huge size, when compared to the pound 

 or so of the bird's own weight. Darwin 

 mentions having taken a ball weighing 6f 

 ounces from the foot of a partridge, and 

 succeeded in growing no less than eighty- 

 four plants from seeds contained in it. 



It is not easy to determine what, for 

 the partridge, is the equivalent of the 

 threescore years and ten of man. Fifteen 

 to seventeen years have been assigned as 

 the limit, but whether this is near the 

 mark or not is open to doubt ; nor is this 

 question of longevity one which game- 

 keepers can afford to solve for themselves, 

 for on all preserved ground a partridge 

 ceases to be at all a desirable resident 



