208 MATERNAL AFFECTION OF THE PARTRIDGE. 



will allow herself to be touched, and even handled, rather 

 than abandon them. This feature in her character has 

 been noticed by the observant poet : — 



" Here, as the swarthy mowers pass 

 Slow through the tall and russet grass, 

 In marshalled rank, from side to side, 

 AVith circling stroke and measured stride, 

 Before the scythe's wide-sweeping sway 

 The russet meadow's tall array 

 Falls, and the bristly surface strows 

 With the brown swathe's successive rows. 

 Ah, take thy heed, nor on her nest 

 The partridge ill-secured molest ! 

 Deep in the grass behold her sit, 

 Eeluctant from her couch to flit. 

 Though the stout mower's whistling blade. 

 Incautious, her abode invade. 

 And threaten, 'mid the falling heap. 

 Away herself and brood to sweep." 



When the young are hatched, the affection of the 

 mother is ever vigilant ; and to beguile a stranger from 

 the asylum of her brood she resorts to a well-known 

 stratagem. She throws herself in his way, and, when she 

 has arrested his attention, proceeds to limp along the 

 ground in a direction exactly opposite to that in which 

 her nest is situated ; she trails her wings along the ground 

 as if they were broken ; leaps occasionally, in what seems 

 to be a vain effort to fly ; and desists from her manoeuvres 

 only when she knows that her brood are out of danger. 



In Western Europe Quails are rather summer visitants 

 than constant residents. They are birds of small size, 

 differing from the partridges in having their heads com- 

 pletely covered with feathers, while their wings are 

 straighter and more acuminated, and the tail smaller. 



