GAME BIRDS. 185 



parts of the forest, where the numerous ant hills furnish 

 a rich supply of food for the young. Its affection for 

 its eggs and young, and its devices to conceal them, or 

 to entice intruders from the vicinity, are well known to 

 every country resident, and often as I have witnessed 

 its solicitude, it has always been with renewed interest. 

 I once came suddenly on a brood of young ones, who 

 could not have been more than a day or two old ; they 

 were accompanied by both old ones, and were busily 

 feeding on an ant-hill in the midst of the moss and 

 heather. On my unexpected appearance, the cock bird 

 tumbled off on one side and the hen on the other, with 

 well-feigned lameness. Out of curiosity, I threw myself 

 on the ground and tried to secure some of the young 

 ones ; but, to my surprise, it was in vain. A few seconds 

 before, there were ten or a dozen of them in a spot 

 scarcely larger than my hat, but before I was down on 

 my knees, they were dispersed in all directions amongst 

 the surrounding heather, and I failed to capture one of 

 them. I could not help admiring the instinct which 

 prompted these tiny things to such instant and energetic 

 action, for it could not have been acquired by imitation 

 or experience. 



The partridge is not readily disturbed from her eggs, 

 but will sit closely until the last moment. One which 

 had laid her eggs in the bottom of the hedge dividing 

 my garden from the field, covered up her eggs every 

 time she left the nest. This, I think, is not a usual 

 practice ; but as the garden was constantly frequented, 

 it was no doubt adopted as a special contrivance against 

 detection. 



How singular it is that some of our native birds have 

 become so accustomed to the strange sights and sounds 



