62 FRANK SCHLEY'S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. 



PAIKING AND NESTING. 



CAECELY have the winter months passed, the snow 

 disappeared from the ground, and early in spring, 

 when the returning sun begins to arouse the different 

 'tribes -from their winter homes, and when the Wil- 

 son snipe is on the meadows, this is the season of the year 

 when the Partridges begin their courtship. With us in 

 Maryland, the Partridges commence mating in the month 

 of March or April, or even earlier, or later according to 

 the season. After mating they separate in pairs, and 

 should the weather change, and become rough and cold or 

 snow fall, after being separated in pairs, it is not unusual 

 for them to reassemble into coveys again. In separating 

 in pairs there are frequently more females than males, and 

 more frequently more males than females. When there 

 are more males than females, it detracts much from their 

 production, as the overplus of males not being provided 

 for, will single out a female, and will run, and so harass 

 her, will not give her an opportunity to build a nest, and 

 she will drop her eggs indiscriminately from place to place, 

 no two together. Should there be more females than 

 males, it does not detract so much from their production, 

 for sometimes a single male will associate with more than 

 one female, and on doing so, their joint products will be 

 laid in the same nest or in one close by. 



Mr. William Jacobs, living in the Linganore hills, who 

 is a man of fair veracity, informed me that he found one 

 of these nests, near his home. The nests were on the side 

 of a hill, in open ground, under some dewberry vines, the 

 two hens were setting about two feet apart, one upon fif- 

 teen, and the other seventeen eggs, making in all thirty- 

 two eggs. He visited the nests regularly every day until 



