THE ARoosTooK PARTRIDGE. 49 

larger than sparrows, so smart and quick, if only a few hours 
old, even with a portion of the shell yet sticking to the backs 
of two or three, are gone the moment you see them. The 
mother knowing she has given them time to hide away, makes 
a final dart at your face; you close your eyes as you make a 
slap at her for her impudence, but she is gone. She is sail- 
ing off as if to fly far away, but watch her! she settles 
down a little among the trees and bushes, sweeps around back, 
flying low down, and lights upon the ground behind the 
bushes and but a little piece from her hidden chicks, to wait 
and watch you between the leaves. You now move away as 
if hiding from her and where you can view the ground. You 
are quiet, and presently you see a leaf tip up, a little raised 
head is seen peeping out from under; that is one of the cun- 
ning chicks; it thinks itself hidden if only its head is under 
a leaf though the body is all exposed. How still it keeps; 
not a movement except raising its head and listening. Look- 
ing keenly you see several heads sticking up, not one moving, 
but all listening, their bright eyes all seem turned in one and 
the right direction. In a moment or two, the mother as she 
hears nothing of you, commences calling softly, ‘* pletes””— 
2 
‘¢ nletes””—‘* pletes,”” when immediately they are all running 
straight to the sound, and are soon huddled beneath the moth- 
er’s wings. 
At this time, when the little ones can scarcely fly, they get 
over the ground surprisingly quick, their small apology for 
wings aiding their legs, and their pursuers must be keen 
sighted to see where they hide. They have many an enemy 
_as they are a very choice bite. The weazel, mink, sable, 
fisher, owl, the hawk, and others have an eye on them, yet 
the mother is constantly on the watch, protecting them if 
