134 THE SHOOTER'S GUIDE. 



The young brood are able to run as soon as they 

 are hatched ; and are indeed sometimes seen carrying 

 part of their shell. The parents lead them immedi- 

 ately to ant-hills, the eggs of which insects consti- 

 tute at first their principal food. The excellence of 

 this food for young partridges may be ascertained by 

 those bred up under a hen, which, if properly sup- 

 plied with it, seldom fail of arriving at maturity. 



The affection of these birds for their young is pe- 

 culiarly interesting. Both the cock and hen lead 

 them out to feed, point out proper places for finding 

 food, as well as teach them the method, by scratching 

 the earth with their feet, after the manner of a do- 

 mestic hen : they cover them also in the same man- 

 ner with their wings, and from this situation they are 

 not easily roused : if, however, they are disturbed, 

 much confusion ensues. The cock, by a peculiar cry 

 of distress, is the first to give the alarm, at the same 

 time throwing himself apparently in the danger, in 

 order to give his companion an opportunity of con- 

 ducting her brood to a place of safety, while he, by 

 his fluttering along the ground, and exhibiting every 

 appearance of debility, endeavours to mislead the 

 enemy. Mr. Markwick relates, that as he was once 

 hunting with a young pointer, the dog ran on a brood 

 of very small partridges. The old bird uttered the 

 most piercing cry, fluttered, hung down her wings, 

 and tumbled along just before the dog's nose, till she 

 had drawn him to a considerable distance, when she 

 took wing and flew farther off, but not out of the fiejd. 



