LXXXV. 

 PERDIX RUFA. (ray.) 



Red Legged Partridge, Guernsey or French Partridge. 



As the Red Legged Partridge is merely a native of this 

 country by adoption, and without the long claim of natura- 

 lization of the Pheasant, the eggs of which have been already 

 figured, I have had some hesitation in giving its egg a place 

 in the present work. It is now, however, very plentiful in 

 various parts of the country, and becoming daily more so, 

 and will, probably, in a few years, spread itself over the 

 greater part of England. In Oxfordshire, Mr. Daniel in- 

 forms us that it is abundant, the Marquis of Hertford having 

 introduced it by bringing over from the Continent many 

 thousand eggs, which were reared under hens, and their pro- 

 duce turned at large. It is also abundant in the counties of 

 Norfolk and Suifolk. Upon the estates of Sir Thomas 

 Gooch, Bart, (to whose kindness I owe the pleasui'e), I have 

 seen several covies during a day's shooting. They are much 

 wilder than the Common Partridge, and run for a consider- 

 able distance before they will rise ; they are also a stronger, 

 heavier bird, and some fear was entertained by the game- 

 keepers, that they would destroy the natives of the soil, 

 means are in consequence taken upon some of the estates to 

 destroy them in return ; they are not considered so good to 

 eat, and are apt to spoil the dogs by keeping them at a run- 

 ning point. The eggs in the plate are selected to show the two 

 extremes of colour to which they are liable ; the light ones, 

 with a medium shade between the two, are most frequent ; 

 the deep colouring of Fig. 2, is rare. 



The Red-legged Partridge makes more of a nest than the 

 common species, and somewhat elevated above the ground : 

 it is of dry grass mixed with a few of the feathers of the 



