POULTRY TRIBE. 207 



been so much favoured by the improvements in 

 modern agriculture, " the districts best cultivated, 

 and producing the most corn," says Mr. Yarrell, 

 " frequently also producing the greatest number 

 of partridges."* 



And yet, though such be the case, there is 

 scarcely an instance of the partridge having bred 

 in captivity, though individual birds are easily 

 tamed, and have been known to evince the strongest 

 personal attachment to their owner, A striking 

 instance ,is given by Mr. Knox, in his " Game 

 Birds and Wild Fowl." He says that a lady in 

 West Sussex had a tame partridge for many years. 

 It was a mere chick when she first possessed it, and 

 no dog or parrot was ever more tame or docile. 

 Though it had the range of the house, its favourite 

 place was the drawing-room, where it would sit 

 for hours, on the back of the chair usually occu- 

 pied by its beloved mistress, and showed the 

 strongest uneasiness during her occasional absence. 

 When she retired to rest it accompanied her to 

 her chamber, and took up its post near the head of 

 her bed. Unhappily this interesting bird met 

 with the usual fate of pets, and came to an un- 

 timely end. 



In the year 1854, a nest of partridges' eggs was 



* This is not always the case. In Norfolk the partridges 

 have diminished in number by improved farming. 



