THE PARTRIDGE. 67 



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 precaution of safety which circumstances have taught 

 it to adopt to escape from its pursuers. In hilly and mount- 

 ainous 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 

 appertaining 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 themselves in the mid-day sun, or roll 

 themselves in the dust to rid their plumage of the vermin 

 with which all Birds more or less are 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 "run- 

 ning 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 ofi", these poor Birds, driven by stern necessity, often 

 become quite tame, visiting the barnyards, and even mixing 

 with the poultry, to gain a scanty subsistence, which not un- 

 frequently preserves them from actual starvation. 



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

 ■when frequently disturbed. 



