144 PARTRIDGES 



stone walls take the place of hedges, especially on the west 

 and most exposed side to prevailing winds. Such ground 

 is improved by putting down small patches of artificial 

 cover close to the walls in likely nesting places. 



A keeper who does his duty should know (as nearly as 

 possible) all the game nests on his beat, and should visit 

 each twice a week, in the afternoon, at which time he is 

 least liable to cause disturbance to the birds while laying, 

 though when incubation begins any time will suit. Nests 

 on public roadsides and other dangerously exposed places 

 should be taken up and distributed among other nests. 



We do not hand-rear partridges here in a general way. 

 One season, however, we purchased 300 eggs from Southern 

 Germany and reared about 160. I used bantams as fosters, 

 and when the chicks were a fortnight old they were 

 allowed to roam in fine weather with their several fosters 

 during the day, and herded back to their coops in the 

 evening. The young stock did remarkably well on this 

 system, but of course it requires considerable attention. 

 I have also reared successfully by turning down the birds, 

 fosters and all, into oats or other grain when three weeks 

 old, continuing the feeding along the headland for a time 

 after their removal. Light soil is important on the rear- 

 ing field, and a couple of furrows ploughed up about every 

 20 yards give shelter in wet weather, also grit and basking 

 ground, all of them important considerations. 



I have tried Hungarians for change of blood, and must 

 admit that there were decided traces of improvement on 

 the beats where they were turned down : several were 

 shot the next season out of large broods on the same 

 ground, and with the marking rings still on their legs. 

 Still there is no reason, evident to me, why British eggs 

 or live birds from a distance should not be as efficacious in 

 improving degenerated stock. 



While on the subject of inbreeding, I may mention that 

 I once reared large numbers of Pit Games (fighters) for 

 six successive years with the best results. Yet these birds 



