38 TU'E SHOOIERS GUIDE. 



afford them shelter, will most likely induce them to 

 remain there till disturbed : however, in dry weather 

 in particular, they are frequently to be found at this 

 time among potatoes. After feeding in the evening, 

 they again call, and fly to the place where they in- 

 tend to remain for the night. When they are call- 

 ing, they seldom He well, or, in other words, will not 

 permit the sportsman to approach within gun-shot. 



Thornhill says " It is very singular that sportsmen 

 find one- third of each covey of partridges to be cocks; 

 at the time therefore of breeding they contend greatly 

 with each other for the hens/' I suppose this gen- 

 tleman must mean two-thirds are found to he cocks. 

 Certain it is, that frequently more male than female 

 birds are found in a covey; and when this happens 

 to be the case at pairing time, battles among the 

 young cocks will undoubtedly ensue. 



The cocks may be easily destroyed by netting the 

 covies at the beginning of the season, and then kill- 

 ing them, so as to leave no more cocks than hens. 

 Thornhill says, there should be fewer cocks than hens 

 left, and adds, that the hen will be certain to find a 

 cock ; however, he should have recollected that par- 

 tridges are birds that pair, and that at that season one 

 cock does not associate with two hens : it is there- 

 fore ridiculous to give directions to leave fewer cocks 

 than hens, and then to say that every hen will be sure 

 to find a cock. The compiler is of opinion that the old 

 cock, in particular, should be destroyed, as, where old 

 .birds are left, they will at pairing time drive off the 



