374 TETRAONID^E. 



grass. It would appear, therefore, that the Crow, a mortal 

 enemy to all kinds of young game, in attempting to' carry 

 off one of these, had been attacked by the parent birds, 

 and with this singular result. Markwick says he has seen, 

 when a Kite has been hovering over a covey of young 

 Partridges, the old birds fly up to the Kite, screaming 

 and fighting with all their might to preserve their brood. 

 Their desire to go to nest, and their partiality to a young 

 brood, is sometimes shown in another manner. In 1808, 

 at Mark's Hall, in Essex, Payne the gamekeeper noticed a 

 brace of Partridges, whose nest had been destroyed, taking 

 to a nest of Pheasant's eggs, the hen of which had been 

 killed by accident. The Partridges hatched and brought 

 up ten young Pheasants. The keeper frequently showed 

 his master, Colonel Burgoyne, and others, the old Par- 

 tridges with the young Pheasants, at different periods 

 of their growth.* 



During the day a covey of Partridges, keeping together, 

 are seldom seen on the wing, unless disturbed ; they fre- 

 quent grass fields, preferring the hedge sides, some of them 

 picking up insects, and occasionally the green leaves of 

 plants ; others dusting themselves in any dry spot where 

 the soil is loose, and this would seem to be a constant 

 practice with them in dry weather, if we may judge by 

 the numerous dusting-places, with the marks and feathers, 

 to be found about their haunts ; and sportsmen find in the 

 early part of the shooting-season, that young and weak 

 birds are frequently infested with numerous parasites. In 

 the afternoon the covey repair to some neighbouring field 

 of standing corn, or if that be cut, to the stubble, for the 

 second daily meal of grain, and this completed, the call- 

 note may be heard, according to White, as soon as the 



* Daniel's Supplement, page 397. 



