34 VARIETIES OF SHOOTING. 



small proportion of insects. Early in the season partridges 

 fly a very short distance, generally dropping in the next 

 field when they are disturbed; but towards November they 

 become very wild, and often fly for a mile or more, and at a 

 great pace. On hilly ground they are particularly inclined 

 to these long flights. The scent of the partridge is not so 

 strong as that of the grouse, nor is the ground which they 

 frequent so favourable to finding them as that on the moors; 

 hence partridge shooting requires dogs with a better nose 

 and more careful hunting than that of the grouse, and for 

 this reason the pointer is preferred to the setter in the 

 south. 



The RED-LEGGED or FRENCH PARTRIDGE (Cacabis rufa), 

 sometimes also called the GUERNSEY PARTRIDGE, has long 

 been an occasional visitant to the manors on the eastern 

 coast ; but in the early part of the nineteenth century con- 

 siderable numbers were imported and turned out in Suffolk 

 and Norfolk. Being more hardy than the common partridge, 

 it was hoped that a larger stock could be obtained, and this 

 opinion has been verified by the result; but they are so in- 

 jurious to sport by their habit of running before the dogs, 

 and also so dry and insipid when put on the table, that they 

 are now pursued to extermination. Still in some districts a 

 few birds remain, but it is probable that in the course of ten 

 years the breed will be almost unknown again. The old 

 cock has the beak red, from which a black streak passes to 

 the eye; in front of the throat is a black gorget, ending in 

 streaks which descend on the breast; iris reddish orange; 

 eyelids of a rich vermilion ; top of the head with a line of 

 white both before and behind the eye; all the upper parts 

 of the body uniformly brown; wing feathers greyish black, 

 with a brown margin to each feather; tail chesnut; breast 

 pencil grey; under parts fawn colour; sides and thighs 

 covered with feathers barred transversely with black and 

 fawn-coloured marks on a pearl-grey ground, approaching to 

 a pure white in some parts; legs and toes vermilion; a knob 

 in place of a spur; claws brown. The length is about 

 thirteen inches and a half in the male, the female being some- 

 what smaller. In other respects there is not much difference 

 between the sexes, except that the plumage of the hen is not 



