MEMOIR OF PLINY. 63 



for a few words on the partridge, one of the few 

 game birds noticed by Pliny. " They couer their egs 

 with a soft carpet or hilling as it were of fine dust ; 

 neither doe they sit where they layed them first, nor 

 yet in a place which they suspect to be much fre- 

 quented with resort of passengers, but conuey them 

 to some other place. The males are so quarrellsome, 

 that oftentimes they are taken by that meanes ; for 

 when the fouler cometh with his pipe or call (resem- 

 bling the female) to allure and traine them forth, out 

 goeth the captaine of the whole flocke directly against 

 him ; and when he is caught another followeth after, 

 and so the rest one after another. In like manner 

 the fouler vses to take the females, at what time as 

 they seek the male, allured by the chanterell or watch 

 which calleth them out. Also if he chance to ap- 

 proch the nest of the brood hen, she will run forth 

 and lie about his feet ; she wil counterfeit that she 

 is very heauy, and cannot scarce go, that she is weak 

 and enfeeblished ; and either in her running, or short 

 flight that she taketh, she will catch a fall and make 

 semblance as if she had broken a leg or a wing. 

 Then will she run out again another way, and when 

 he is ready to take her vp, yet will she shift away 

 and escape. And all this doth shee to amuse the 

 fouler after her, vntill she have trained him a con- 

 trary way from the couey. Now by the time that 

 she is past that feare, and freed of the motherly care 

 she had of her yong ones, then will shee get into 

 the furrow of some land, lie along on her back, catch 



