PARTRIDGE. 



Then it is, as Mr. Cheney says, "he drops into the for- 

 lornest of attitudes, looking as if he would never move 

 again." 



In winter the Partridge finds an abundance of food 

 in the northern woods. Partridge berries, wintergreen 

 (Gaultheria procumbens), tree buds, and a host of things 

 common in the winter woods make up his diversified 

 menu, so he does not starve. Nor does he freeze to 

 death in the coldest weather, for he burrows under the 

 snowdrift and finds in its shelter a comfortable bedroom 

 in which to spend the night secure from the prowling 

 fox. His feet also are amply protected from the frost 

 by a thick growth of stout bristles arranged along the 

 toes ; these bristles, like snowshoes, serve to bear him up 

 in walking over the snow. The growth begins in Octo- 

 ber, but by the first of April it has entirely vanished. 



The Partridge acts very much like the Quail when he 

 is flushed : suddenly there is a buzz and a whirr almost 

 at one's feet and a frightened bird rises with violent 

 haste, uttering hysterical notes of alarm, and flies off 

 horizontally into the depths of the forest, leaving the 

 intruder with nerves so badly shaken that his aim is 

 spoiled and his gun useless. I quite unexpectedly 

 came upon a hen bird with her chicks one summer's 

 day, and the commotion that ensued was out of all 

 proportion with the occasion ; there was a tremendous 

 rumpus among the dried leaves as the little chicks scat- 

 tered, and the distracted mother promptly lost her wits 

 in the endeavor to leave the spot in several directions 

 at once. There were whistles, and chirps, and clucks 

 pitched in a high key at all points of the compass, then 

 I added a few plaintive chirps of my own as an experi- 

 ment ; back came the mother in reckless panic, with 

 every individual feather on end, and to my amazement 

 flew at my legs in a maddened fury I I had quite a 

 lively time for a few seconds, and then, when her pur- 

 pose of checking me was accomplished, she flew abruptly 

 away, probably saying to herself for she still vocifer- 

 ated loudly " Thank goodness ! I made that old goose 

 concentrate his attention on me, and the children are 

 safe I " 



