RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE. 385 



standing all the speed exerted to head them, at such dis- 

 tances as to be out of the range of shot ; yet upon the same 

 ground, and on the same day, after changing the mode 

 of shooting, these birds lay to some springing spaniels till 

 the dogs almost touched them before they rose, and two 

 brace and a half were killed. The flesh of the Bed-legged 

 Partridge is white, but rather more dry, and not so much 

 in request as that of the Common Partridge. The red bird 

 has been known to breed in confinement. 



This bird is not an inhabitant of Germany or Holland, 

 according to Continental authors, but it is found in France, 

 Provence, Spain, Portugal, and Italy, and is probably con- 

 founded sometimes with two other species of Bed-legged 

 Partridges which are found in Barbary and Greece, and 

 from thence to a considerable distance eastward. 



M. Temminck mentions, in the fourth part of his Manual, 

 that this species is also an inhabitant of Japan, and does 

 not exhibit there any difference either in its form or the 

 colouring of its plumage. 



The adult male has the beak red ; from the nostrils a 

 black streak passes to the eye, and recommencing behind 

 the eye passes downwards and then forwards, joining in 

 front, forming a gorget of black, from which, both on the 

 sides of the neck and in the front, numerous black streaks 

 and spots descend towards the breast ; the irides reddish 

 orange, eyelids vermilion red ; top of the head with a line 

 of white before and behind the eye ; back of the neck, the 

 shoulders, back, wing-coverts, rump, and upper tail-coverts, 

 hair-brown, the plumage smooth and blended; wing-fea- 

 thers greyish black, with a margin of wood-brown on the 

 outer web; tail-feathers chestnut ; breast pearl-grey ; belly, 

 vent, and under tail-coverts, fawn-colour; feathers of the 

 sides, flanks, and thighs transversely barred with pearl- 



VOL. II. C C 



