THE PARTRIDGE JUNE 137 



tridge is to turn about, and fly back to the fields 

 whence it came. The effect of a line of wire-netting 

 on wild creatures seems to be that they imagine they 

 are enclosed on all sides. A half -grown leveret can- 

 tered before us for quite two miles alongside netting 

 to the left of him ; only after covering this distance 

 did it seem to dawn upon him that by turning to the 

 right he might go his way to freedom. 



What are the ideal conditions for partridges ? First, 

 an old-fashioned April growing weather. Then an 



old-fashioned May, with blue skies and 

 The genial sunshine, to be followed by a June 



June without a drop of rain that would hurt a 



fly by day, with occasional warm sprayings 

 of rain by night, to help on the insect-supply for the 

 chicks, and to keep the soil just as partridges like 

 it when scratching for insects, but not wet enough 

 to clog their feet. The ideal June the partridge 

 June has warm nights and fine sunny days, without 

 too much scorching sunshine. The fine weather 

 must go on during the first part of July in the 

 interests of the later-hatched chicks ; and if August 

 can behave as it should, so much the better but 

 the most important thing is a partridge June. 

 Nothing can make amends to the partridges for 

 a wet, cold June ; for nothing can bring their dead 

 chicks to life. 



