VOL. VII.] DR. BUREAU ON THE PARTRIDGE. 161 



Differences in Development between the Common 

 AND Red-legged Partridges. 



The Red-legged Partridge is later in beginning its nesting 

 operations than the Common Partridge, the difference in 

 Loire Inferieur is at least a fortnight, though the dates seem 

 to vary at least a Aveek in districts to the north and south 

 of the Loire. It is also slower in its development, the moult 

 of the primaries starts five days later, the new feathers 

 grow more slowly, and each grows to a greater length before 

 the next one is dropped. Thus the difference is 5 days 

 at the fall of the tenth, 7 at the ninth, 8 at the eighth, 10 

 at the seventh, 11 at the sixth, 15 at the fifth, and 19 at the 

 fourth and third. On the other hand, the fourth and third 

 primaries grow rather quicker than those of the Common 

 Partridge, so that at the end of the moult it is only a fort- 

 night older than a Common Partridge at the same stage 

 (130 as against 116 days). 



The remaining sections, in addition to the elaborate 

 and ingenious methods of collecting data for the 

 " Chronometric Table," and the application to it of 

 the Tests and Controls, the whole illustrated with a 

 wealth of tables and diagrams, deal with such subjects 

 as pairing, nesting, eggs, incubation, local races, weights 

 of old birds, weights of young birds at different ages, 

 and methods of distinguishing young from old, both 

 in the hand and on the wing. We have summarized 

 above the major portion of the new work, and we must 

 leave those interested to follow the other parts of the 

 subject in the book itself. It cannot fail to be both 

 instructive and of interest both to the sportsman and 

 ornithologist, not only on account of the matter contained 

 in it, but because of the painstaking care — it is every- 

 where evident — the author has bestowed on his investi- 

 gations. Dr. Bureau is to be congratulated on the 

 completion of a notable piece of work. 



