BY MANY HANDS 137 



and planting odd corners, which make good cover and 

 nesting ground for the birds. These plantations become 

 useless when the trees grow up, unless they are kept well 

 pruned down and thinned out. 



As many of the wild nests as possible are found before 

 the birds begin to brood ; it is not considered safe to look 

 among cover afterwards. Nests are visited in the early 

 morning three times a week. Fifteen is the average 

 number of eggs laid, but nests are often, and successfully, 

 made up to 25 eggs. Eggs are constantly changed from 

 one part of the estate to another. 



The ' French system' has been employed here for 

 some six years ; it has proved successful from the start, 

 has never given any trouble, and is considered the best 

 way to keep up a good stock of partridges. Thirty brace 

 of Hungarians are bought each year in November for the 

 pens, and the average number of young birds over a 

 period of years is 360; in some years the broods have 

 averaged as high as 19. Owing to wet and cold in June 

 the wild birds suffered the last two seasons, but under this 

 system the breeding stock has been kept as good as ever. 

 Eggs from nests in hay-fields, roadsides, and dangerous 

 places are saved and utilized with the nests in the pens. 



There are no foxes ; rooks are found the worst enemies, 

 followed in degree by rats and weasels ; hedgehogs are 

 very destructive. Owls and kestrels are plentiful all 

 along the coast, but do no harm and are not killed. 

 French partridges are unknown ; hares and pheasants are 

 not found harmful on partridge ground. 



Partridges are regularly fed through winter on the 

 refuse from thrashing mills, which is full of small seeds, 

 of which the birds are particularly foiid. These feeds are 

 put on waste pieces of ground or in young plantations 

 which birds frequent, and the partridges come there almost 

 every day. 



No disease has been noticed. Each beat-keeper has 

 from 1500 to 1600 acres to look after. 



