Birds on the Western Front 



the wholesale destruction of the woods or to 

 the poaching proclivities of some of our 

 soldiers (The Field, 5.V.I7, p. 662). 



PARTRIDGES fed securely in " No-man's- 

 land." A nest, with fourteen eggs, was 

 found within fifty yards of a battery posi- 

 tion ; the bird sat close, though 2,000 rounds 

 were fired daily (Field, 2g.vii.i6, p. 186). 

 Near Gouzeaucourt, in a very much shelled 

 area, a PARTRIDGE sat on seventeen eggs ; 

 on either side of her nest, and within two 

 yards of it, were "pip-squeak" shell-holes 

 very recently made (Times, 22.vi.i7). PAR- 

 TRIDGES were often seen about the line in the 

 La Bassee sector, where they gave good prac- 

 tice for successful rifle and Lewis-gun fire 

 into "No-man's-land" (Ibis, 1919, p. 77). 

 A " Minnie " shell was seen to explode in the 

 middle of a covey of PARTRIDGES ; such 

 birds as were not hit simply jumped up, lit 

 again, and immediately went on feeding un- 

 perturbed. 



QUAILS called to each other while shells 

 exploded close to them (Land and Water, 

 I4.ix.i6), and could be heard calling during 

 K 129 



