^2 lewis' ameeican sportsman. 



Blackbirds, having changed their lustrous jetty plumage for 

 one of snowy white. We have also seen a White Snipe, and 

 a Yellow Reed Bird, both of which will be spoken of under 

 their proper head. 



Since the publication of the first edition of our book, we have 

 received at the hands of our friend, the late Mr, H. H. Stockton, 

 who, by the by, was a most zealous and experienced Sportsman, 

 a remarkable, and, no doubt, perfectly unique specimen of the 

 American Partridge. The plumage of this rara avis in terra, is 

 totally different from anything that we have yet seen or heard 

 of. Independent of the color of the plumage, the Bird has 

 every characteristic of the Perdix Virginianus, and, no doubt, 

 is a veritable Partridge, without any admixture of foreign blood, 

 as some of our sporting friends would have us infer. If this Bird 

 had not been shot in the section of country where it was, and 

 in company with other ordinary Partridges, we might, perhaps, 

 very naturally have supposed it to belong to another variety ; 

 but, all the circumstances taken into consideration, we must re- 

 gard it only as one of those lusus iiaturoe that we occasionally 

 meet with throughout every branch of animated creation. 



In the specimen before us, the bill is black ; line over the eye 

 and down the neck jet black, with an occasional grayish- white 

 spot; whole chin ashy white, mottled with black, extending 

 slightly over the throat, which is jetty black, interspersed with 

 a few reddish-brown spots ; upper part of the breast exhibits a 

 few pure white feathers ; the lower portion dark-cinnamon or 

 red-brown, fringed with black; sides of the neck reddish-brown; 

 in fact, the balance of the plumage, save the admixture of black 



