Partridges Breeding and Rearing. 83 



not necessarily identical features with the district in which it 

 is purposed to introduce them. When turning the birds down 

 the best plan is to place two or three pairs within a short 

 distance of one another, so that the usual calling for mates 

 and jealousies of the males over their chosen hens may be 

 duly gone through. The best spot 'to put down partridges 

 in spring is in a dry rough pasture, more particularly if 

 there be a small expanse of low uneven brake adjacent. Put 

 them down towards night time, as they will then have no 

 disposition to fly off, and after a night's rest will probably 

 settle down and stick to the near neighbourhood of their 

 first resting place. For the first day or two a little grain- 

 oats, barley or wheat scattered about may help them along, 

 but it should be given in but small quantities, and for but 

 one or two days. 



The introduction of partridges may furthermore be made 

 by buying, or acquiring, eggs and hatching them out under 

 hens. From a pecuniary point of view this is the most 

 satisfactory mode, while the successful rearing of some few 

 dozen of young birds would provide a nucleus of a future 

 large stock. It is, however, a process involving a con- 

 siderable amount of trouble, and as partridges are often the 

 sole ''little bit of fleck or feather" a farmer cares to have, 

 he does not often incline to devote much trouble to them, 

 and would prefer to put down his few pounds and turn away 

 a dozen pairs of one-year-old birds. The regular preserver, 

 on the other hand, has his keepers and can breed them easily 

 enough, and rear them with ordinary attention. Some keepers 

 seem to consider the hand-rearing of partridges rather 

 beneath them, and fight shy of anything short of pheasants. 



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