THE PARTRIDGE 213 



of a foster-mother. It is only necessary for us to add 

 a few remarks here on the general feeding of the young 

 partridges when they are reared artificially. 



It is essential that the young partridges should have 

 a good supply of the pupse of ants during the first fort- 

 night after hatching. When these are not obtainable, 

 Mr. Carnegie recommends bruised wheat soaked and 

 then fried. " About the third or fourth day, some 

 custard may be given mixed with lettuce, chickweed, 

 plantain (the unripe flower), groundsel, rice, broken 

 small and boiled, and small quantities of any small bird- 

 seed. The best way is to make a thinnish custard, and 

 mix some of the other food material with it, always 

 giving preponderance to the green food. Any insects 

 which may be obtainable may also be given, in addi- 

 tion to the ants' eggs, which, it is necessary to remark, 

 ought not to be offered the chicks till the other food has 

 satisfied their appetites." "Boiled rice, custard, or hard- 

 boiled eggs," says Lord Walsingham, " well crushed, 

 will certainly ensure the saving of a fair proportion of 

 the chicks ; but these alone are by no means equal to 

 the same with the addition of ants' eggs. It is a good 

 plan to sweep the rough herbage on the borders of some 

 neighbouring field or wood with a coarse bag-net made 

 of canvas or calico on a stiff iron hoop fixed on a strong 

 handle. By this means a large number of insects of 

 various kinds are easily collected, and can be conveyed 

 in a bag to the coops, and thrown down for the birds. 

 When the birds are three weeks or a month old, the 



