THE PARTRIDGE. 



97 



yards of his own person. And a gentleman informs me that 

 he has seen them pick up and carry off Partridges that were 

 brought to the ground a few moments before by the Gun, and 

 that, on one occasion, he actually shot one when in the very act 

 of making off with a Bird which he had seized the moment it 

 had been knocked down at a long shot. 



The Goshawk also destroys immense numbers of Passenger 

 Pigeons, as well as the different varieties of Ducks, such as 

 Mallards, Teal, Black Duck, &c. Audubon mentions having 

 seen this Hawk strike and carry off all these Fowl, and we 

 imagine that almost every Sportsman must be familiar with their 

 extreme boldness and daring. After seizing Mallards, they 

 turn them belly upwards, and eat the flesh off their breasts, 

 disdaining all other less tender and juicy parts of the body 

 when food is so plentiful. 



The Sparrowhawk is also a most outrageous poacher upon 

 all kinds of Birds, and, being extremely dainty in his taste and 

 habits, we doubt not that he also destroys numbers of young 

 Partridges, if not the old ones. We have over and over again 

 witnessed him in the act of carrying off smaller birds. 



Sportsmen should never fail to kill these birds of prey when 

 ever he meets with them, as they answer no particular good 

 purpose, and often materially interfere with his recreations. It 

 is no uncommon thing for a Hawk, in severe weather, to linger 

 about the haunts of a covey or two of Birds for several days 

 together, picking one or two off whenever a favorable oppor- 

 tunity presents, until the whole covey is ultimately destroyed. 



