96 lewis' AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



ENEMIES OF THE PARTRIDGE. 



Man is not the only enemy that Partridges have to fear, as 

 there are several animals, such as the Fox, Eaccoon, Weasel, 

 Polecat, Serpents, Hawks, Crows, &c., that not only, when 

 pressed for food in the winter season, destroy the old Birds, 

 but also devour great quantities of the young, and consume 

 numberless eggs during the period of incubation. 



Among the foes of their own species, there are none more 

 destructive than the Sparrow, Pigeon, and Goshawk, who follow 

 after and destroy great numbers of them early in the autumn, 

 when they are comparatively weak and unwary, and not suffi- 

 ciently alert to elude their grasp by rapid flight to the thick 

 coverts. The Pigeon-Hawk, being much larger and stronger 

 than the former, does not hesitate to dart down, upon a favor- 

 able occasion, and carry off the oldest and strongest Birds. 

 Nothing terrifies a covey so much, when feeding in the open 

 country, as the appearance of this formidable marauder; skim- 

 ming along the tops of the stubble-fields, so near to the ground 

 as scarcely to be discovered, he comes stealthily upon his uncon- 

 scious victims, and fastens his deadly talons in their very vitals, 

 bearing them off screaming to the nearest tree, to satisfy his 

 cruel appetite. The covey, startled at his approach, fly in every 

 direction, secreting themselves in the thickets of brushwood, 

 deep grass, and almost impenetrable cripples. When Partridges 

 have been frightened in this way, they take a long time to 

 collect together again, as they dare not give utterance to a 

 single note-call^ always dreading the presence of their greedy foe. 



We have often came across Birds disturbed by this fearless 

 freebooter, and found them extremely wild and shy, not per- 

 mitting a Dog to come within a hundred yards of them. When 

 the winter is severe in the middle and northern latitudes, these 

 Hawks, more particularly the Goshawks, a larger species, are 

 driven to great extremities for food, as the most of the small 

 Birds, their usual prey, have left for more congenial climes, and 

 then it is that the formidable Goshawk visits the barn3'-ards in 

 search of plunder, and does not hesitate to carry off the largest 

 chickens. It is no uncommon thing for shooters to see this 

 daring depredator dip down into a covey when within a few 



