106 PARTRIDGES. 



the New AVorld. We shall give Captain Head's 

 lively description of two varieties, the larch and 

 spruce Partridges, which he met with in his expedi- 

 tion into the interior, near Lake Huron. 



" Early in the Spring," he says, " they make their 

 appearance in the pine-woods, welcomed by the soli- 

 tary back-settlers, not only as harbingers of return- 

 ing warmth, but as an agreeable addition to their 

 stock of provisions, and a source of amusement. At 

 first, when the snow still covers the ground, they are 

 easily tracked, though by no means easily discovered 

 in the trees, on which these two species invariably 

 perch. They run for a considerable distance from 

 their pursuers, before they rise, turning backwards 

 and forwards, and round and round, twisting about 

 the trees in such a manner as to make it difficult to 

 follow up the foot-marks, and but for the assistance 

 of dogs familiar with the sport, the keenest eye is 

 often foiled." Captain Plead thus describes his first 

 meeting with one of these birds : 



" The snow in the woods was crisp from the 

 night's frost, and the sun was just rising in a clear 

 sky, when the marks of game attracted my notice, 

 and my spaniel at the same time evinced the most 

 eager interest and curiosity in the pursuit, quartering 

 the ground from right to left. After walking about 

 half an hour, he suddenly quested, and on going up 

 to him, I found him at the edge of a swamp, among 

 a clump of white cedar-trees, to one of which he 

 had evidently tracked some description of bird ; for 

 he was looking steadfastly up into the tree, and 

 barking with the utmost eagerness. I looked atten- 

 tively, but nothing whatever could I discover. I 



