358 BRITISH BIRDS. 



plenty than in this island, where, in their season, 

 they contribute to our entertainments. It is much 

 to be regretted, however, that the means taken to 

 preserve this valuable bird should, in a variety of 

 instances, prove its destruction; the proper guar- 

 dians of the eggs and young ones, tied down by 

 ungenerous restrictions, are led to consider them 

 as a growing evil, and not only connive at their 

 destruction, but too frequently assist in it. 



Partridges pair early in the spring, and once 

 united it is rare that anything but death separates 

 them : the female lays from fourteen to eighteen or 

 twenty eggs, making her nest of withered leaves 

 and grass upon the ground. The young birds run 

 as soon as hatched, frequently encumbered with 

 part of the shell. It is no unusual thing to intro- 

 duce Partridges' eggs under the Common Hen, 

 w r ho hatches and rears them as her own: in this 

 case the young birds require to be fed with ants' 

 eggs, which are their favourite food, and without 

 which it is almost impossible to bring them up; 

 they likewise eat insects, and when full grown, all 

 kinds of grain and young plants. The affection of 

 the Partridge for her young is peculiarly strong 

 and lively: she is greatly assisted in the care of 

 rearing them by her mate; they lead them out in 

 common, call them together, gather for them their 

 proper food, and assist in finding it by scratching 

 the ground ; they frequently sit close by each other, 

 covering the chickens with their wings, like the 

 Hen. In this situation they are not easily flushed; 

 the sportsman, who is attentive to the preservation 

 of his game, will carefully avoid giving any dis- 

 turbance to a scene so truly interesting; but should 



