116 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



ing upon the branches of the largest forest-trees. The act of 

 perching upon trees is not, however, a natural habit of this bird, 

 but appears to be solely the result of fright, or, perhaps, a pre- 

 caution of safety which circumstances have taught it to adopt to 

 escape from its pursuers. In hilly and mountainous districts, 

 partridges are much more apt to fly to the trees than in other 

 parts ; and in such a locality we knew of a whole covey betaking 

 themselves to a tree and remaining there, perfectly concealed 

 from view, for some considerable time, greatly to our mystification, 

 and that of our dogs also.* 



In their natural undisturbed state, partridges delight in the 

 open country, frequenting without fear the stubble-fields apper- 

 taining to the well-cultivated farms of our agriculturists, where 

 they can obtain a plentiful supply of loose grain. The morning 

 and evening is the time when partridges feed. When the weather 

 is favorable, they leave their roost at an early hour of the day, 

 and, being very industrious feeders, they are soon able to retire 

 from the open fields to some favorite and secluded spot, to bask in 

 the mid-day sun or roll themselves in the dust to rid their plumage 

 of the vermin with which all birds are more or less infested. 



Partridges are not strictly migratory birds, as the greater portion 

 of them remain distributed throughout the northern portions of 

 our country during the whole winter, and not unfrequently suffer 

 immensely from the intense cold and deep snows; still, at that 

 period of the autumn known as the "running season," large 

 numbers abandon their former haunts, and, continuing along the 

 borders of our rivers, take up their abode for a time in the 

 lowlands, hundreds of miles, perhaps, from their breeding-places. 

 Of this peculiarity we shall, however, speak more fully hereafter, 

 under a separate head. In the northern sections of our country, 

 the ground is frequently covered for weeks with snow; and, all 

 access to food being thus cut off, these poor birds, driven by stern 



* In such situations, it is not unusual to find numbers taking to the trees yrnen 

 frequently disturbed. 



