142 PARTRIDGES 



BLACKADDER, BERWICKSHIRE 



(Notes by Sir GEORGE HOUSTOUN BOSWALL, Bart.) 



5000 acres, of a clay soil, with three-fifths cultivated 

 on a four years' course, and two-fifths grass. A large 

 number of double fences make excellent nesting ground, 

 but, unfortunately, the partridges always seem to prefer 

 the roadsides. I put this down entirely to their liking 

 for dust and grit, and am trying to obviate this by making 

 places in the double hedges where they can take their 

 dust baths. 



I have all nests found as far as possible, and consider 

 that they should be visited once a day when the bird is 

 sitting ; there is then some chance of saving the eggs if 

 anything has happened. Our nests average about 17 

 eggs. A lot of eggs are lifted from impossible places 

 and put into other nests. Eggs are also changed from 

 one side of the place to another. The incubator is not 

 used. Some partridges were reared under the French 

 system, which was most successful, but as we only had 

 ten pens, it was not worth the trouble, as even if all ten 

 coveys were reared, the man that looked after them would 

 be, in my opinion, far better employed outside. I put 

 in a lot of Hungarian eggs in 1909 and 1910, but shall 

 not do so this year. 



We always have some foxes, and they take a certain 

 number of birds off their nests. We remove the eggs 

 to other nests. Hedgehogs, rats, and rooks are certainly 

 our worst vermin ; owls and kestrels 1 do not consider 

 harmful to partridges. Hedgehogs I consider the worst 

 egg-stealers of all, as they will go all up a fence and 

 never miss a nest. We have many hares, but do not find 

 they do any harm. Pheasants would do mischief by 

 laying in partridge nests, were the nests not visited and 

 their eggs removed. 



