BIRDS FOUND ON OUR SOUTHERN MANORS. 33 



part of June, but occasionally the young birds come out much 

 earlier in the year. The young birds leave the nest directly, 

 but they are carefully watched over by both the old birds 

 till they are strong on the wing and able to take care of 

 themselves. The stratagems of the old cock and hen to draw 

 attention from their young ones are most marvellously inte- 

 resting to the lover of nature, and sometimes lead to the belief 

 that their reasoning power is of a high order. These mani- 

 festations, however, are considered to be purely instinctive, 

 but they certainly assume at times the appearance of a higher 

 order of mental power. Both the cock and hen will perform 

 the most curious gyrations, turning and twisting about with 

 apparently a broken wing, just as if they were in the agonies 

 of death. This of course induces any inexperienced person 

 to approach with the view either of giving assistance or of 

 making a capture, but a near proximity speedily cures the 

 attack, and the old hypocrite moves off just beyond the reach 

 of the witness of his or her antics. In the meantime, the 

 other partner has been leading off the young brood to a 

 place of safety, where they are speedily joined by the one 

 which has been playing off the tricks that have just 

 been described. Two partridges, when together, are called 

 " a pair," and when, after the breeding season is over, 

 they are unaccompanied by young, they are denominated 

 " a barren pair," which may be either caused by having lost 

 their nest, or from both being of the same sex, as will some- 

 times happen when there is a preponderance of either. The 

 old and young together constitute " a covey." These during 

 the day are seldom seen on the wing, unless they are dis- 

 turbed, but when not on the feed, they frequent the hedge 

 sides of grass fields or the banks of brooks, or they 

 " bather" in the dusty banks of hedgerows, in order to get 

 rid of the parasitical insects which infest their skins. In the 

 morning and afternoon they are on the feed, which is either 

 in the standing corn or in the stubble after it is cut. At 

 dusk they " call" to one another, and having assembled, they 

 move off lo their resting-place for the night, which is gene- 

 rally on seeds or grass, where they "jug" or nestle close 

 together on the ground, with their heads directed outwards. 

 They feed on corn and other seeds, varying their diet with a 



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