RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE. 281 



Adult Male. Above greyish olive-brown; feathers of the 

 sides of the chest broadly margined with black ; throat sur- 

 rounded by a black band; belly bright rufous buff; flank- 

 feathers pale grey, followed by a narrow white, and then a 

 narrow black band, ending in a broader band of dark chestnut ; 

 outer tail-feathers dark chestnut. Total length, 13-6 inches ; 

 wing, 6-2; tail, 37; tarsus, 17. 



Adult Female. Similar to the male. Total length, 13 inches ; 

 wing, 6'o ; tail, 3*6; tarsus, i'6. 



Range in Great Britain. Mr. Saunders writes : "The Red- 

 legged Partridge was successfully acclimatised in England 

 about 1770 ; and as the result of this and subsequent introduc- 

 ductions it is now thoroughly established in Suffolk, Norfolk, 

 Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, some of the Midlands, 

 and on dry ground along the northern side of the Thames 

 Valley." 



Range outside the British Islands. An inhabitant of South- 

 western Europe, ranging north to Belgium and Switzerland, 

 and in the south to Madeira, the Azores, and Gran Canary, 

 and in the east to South and Central Italy, also to Elba, 

 Corsica, and the Balearic Islands (Grant). A dark form, 

 called C. hispanica, occurs in Spain; it has been figured 

 in Mr. Ogilvie Grant's volume (pi. x.). 



Habits. Mr. Ogilvie Grant writes : " This remarkably hand- 

 some species was first introduced into the south-eastern 

 counties of Great Britain about a century ago. Like the rest 

 of its allies, it is an inveterate runner, and generally prefers to 

 escape from approaching danger on foot, which it does with 

 great rapidity, seldom taking to flight unless hard pressed or 

 suddenly disturbed. When once on the wing, however, the flight 

 is rapid and straight, and for this reason these birds afford capital 

 sport when driven ; but if shot over dogs or walked up in cover 

 their cursorial habits are alike detestable to man and dog, for 

 the Red-legs not only seldom rise themselves till they are at the 

 other end of the field and probably far out of shot, but disturb 

 and put up any coveys of Grey Partridges they may chance 

 to pass on their course. They are very partial to hedgerows or 

 the edges of plantations and long grass or rushes, and when 



