THE PARTRIDGE, 81 



much more vehemence, and to much greater distances, than the 

 English variety. It is no uncommon thing for Sportsmen to 

 see whole coveys, when wild from frequent flushing, take wing 

 and fly entirely out of sight over the highest of our forest -trees. 

 The English Bird is stationary, and has neither the inclination 

 nor strength sufficient for migrating from one portion of the 

 country to another, hundreds of miles apart. The English Bird 

 is longer lived than the American. The average duration of 

 life in the former is said to be seven to ten years; in the latter, 

 three to five. 



CHANGE OF PLUMAGE. 



A few Partridges, owing to some inexplicable freak of 

 nature, change their plumage, to a pure or mottled white. 

 Many of such singular-looking Birds have been shot in Eng- 

 land. Mr. Daniel states that there was a covey of seven Par- 

 tridges netted at South Cave, four of which were of a most 

 beautiful clear white color, three were pied, and that they were 

 preserved alive for a long time as great curiosities. We have 

 heard of several being shot in the State of Delaware, one of 

 which remarkable Birds is mounted and in the possession of 

 the Author. It is not purely white, but pied, and difters in 

 no other respect from the common Partridge. There is also 

 another handsome specimen in the possession of David Gratz, 

 Esq., which most of our shooting friends, no doubt, have seen. 

 There is also a very handsome specimen in the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences. 



There are several specimens of these singular Birds in the 

 English Museum ; and Buffbn states that ten or twelve Par- 

 tridges, entirely white, have been seen at once among others of 

 the usual plumage, and that they had the pupils of the eyes red, 

 as common to the White Hare, Eat, Ferret, &c. 



What this alteration in the plumage of Birds is to be attributed 

 to we are at a loss to discern, as it has occurred in climates that 

 could not be suspected of exercising any influence towards this 

 change. Such anomalies, however, are not so very rare in the 

 feathered race as we should at first be led to suppose ; for it is 

 no very uncommon circumstance to hear of Crows, as well as 

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