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Correspondence



Avicultural Society earnestly hopes that members interested in the

project will generously respond to their appeal for the financial support

necessary to carry it out. Donations to the fund have already been

promised by the members of the Council present at the meeting, when

the decision to inaugurate this useful work was made. Subscriptions,

however small, will be welcome. They should be sent direct to the

Treasurer, Miss M. Knobel, 32 Tavistock Square, London, W.C. 1. who

will announce in the Magazine the amounts received.



CORRESPONDENCE


GAME BIRDS WITH YOUNG: DIFFERENT ACTION OF


PARENTS


Sirs,— Scenes in which Partridges of the genus Perdix defend their

young when the latter are in danger are, I believe it correct to say,

by no means of rare occurrence.


But recently a scene occurred here in North Kent where the action

of the parents was very different, one defending the young, the other

fleeing ; and therefore I thought some account might interest one or

other of our members who are breeding the spur-legged allies known

as Francolins ( Francolinus genus), or have kept them in past years, or

the Tree Partridges ( Arhoricola genus), which latter are placed one

on each side of the Partridges (referred to chiefly in these remarks)

by our member, Mr. Ogilive Grant, in the account of game birds in

Royal Natural History (see vol. iv, pp. 411 to 413).


On 10th June this year I was standing among some apple-trees on

my land, 'and heard a considerable noise being made by excited

Partridges on a neighbour’s land, which was then growing a scanty

hay crop, there being a thorn hedge between me and the Partridges.


Plaving a stick in hand, I proceeded towards the hedge to see what

was happening, during which time the shrieks of Partridges increased ;

and when a few yards away from the hedge a single Partridge dashed

over it in my direction, squalling loudly in evidently considerable

excitement—it obviously not seeing me until it had flown over the

hedge. On my reaching the hedge and looking over to where the

excitement began, there I saw a dog and the other parent Partridge



