THE PARTKIDGE. 88 



springing of a large covey, knows not where to turn or in what 

 direction to point his gun. This startling — but, to. the ear of a 

 sportsman, agreeable — sound is produced by the shortness, con 

 cavity, and rapid motion of the wings, as they fly by a succession 

 of quick flaps, and then sail till nearing the ground, when they 

 break their fall by a few more flaps. When partridges rise on 

 wing of their own free will, the whole covey takes the same 

 course; when disturbed, they all seek safety by separating. 

 When compared with the weight of the body, there are few, if 

 any, game-birds, in any portion of the globe, that fly with the 

 same rapidity or force, and consequently require such quick action 

 on the part of the sportsman, as the partridge of America. They 

 spring suddenly, and dart ofi" with a celerity and regularity of 

 purpose that appears almost impossible for any bird to possess, 

 pursuing a rapid and headlong flight through the mazes of our 

 thickest forests and impenetrable coverts ; and we hardly suppose 

 that any of our brother sportsmen ever saw one of these birds 

 either entangled or otherwise impeded in its progress through the 

 rank and poisonous vines that so often intercept the flight of other 

 less strong and clear-sighted birds. The American bird flies with 

 much more vehemence, and to much greater distances, than the 

 English variety. It is no uncommon thing for sportsmen to see 

 whole coveys, when wild from frequent flushing, take wing and fly 

 entirely out of sight over the highest of our forest-trees. The 

 English bird is stationary, and has neither the inclination nor 

 strength sufficient for migrating from one portion of the country 

 to another, hundreds of miles apart. The English bird is longer 

 lived than the American. The average duration of life in the 

 former is said to be seven to ten years ; in the latter, three to five. 



CHANGE OF PLUMAGE. 



A few partridges, owing to some inexplicable freak of nature, 

 change their plumage to a pure or mottled white. Many of such 

 singular-looking birds have been shot in England. Mr. Daniel 

 states that there was a covey of seven partridges netted at South 



