j6 Practical Game Preserving. 



to sun and dust itself, or for shelter in severe weather. In 

 the first week of February the mating season commences, 

 and by the middle of the month pairing is in full swing. 

 Then the males have their little differences, ending often in 

 battles royal, and as they are very plucky, and as, it is 

 believed, there are always a majority of male birds, it may be 

 supposed that the contests are sometimes severe, insomuch 

 that many have to ^retire to a solitary life, consequent 

 on their inability to win mates. Of course, in the rougher, 

 less protected parts, the mating season is later, and even in 

 the less exposed districts, the occurrence of bad cold 

 weather in March will often cause the partridges already 

 paired to reunite in the coveys of which they previously 

 formed part. 



Partridges, unlike pheasants, are strictly monogamous, 

 the hen forming the nest and incubating under close atten- 

 tion by the male. The nest making is a by no means lengthy 

 nor elaborate proceeding, the chief cause of anxiety seeming 

 to be the choice of site, and they will often search for 

 weeks before selecting one possessing all the necessary 

 qualifications. The nest itself is a very simple affair, and 

 consists of a plain hollow scratched and formed under some 

 shelter. It is adorned with a certain amount of lining, 

 which may consist of dead leaves and grass, bits of fern 

 and straw or the like. The site chosen varies considerably, 

 but always exhibits certain characteristics. When situated 

 in grass, clover, or corn fields, it is invariably beneath 

 some specially thick tuft of growth, and at a spot slightly 

 elevated above the surrounding parts. It may be at the 

 foot of a tree, or bush, or post, in the rough weedy growth 



