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‘THE PARTRIDGE. 
The Partridge | —Natural History| by the Rev. H. A. MACPHERSON | 
Shooting | by A. J. SruarT-Wort.ey | Cookery | by Gro. SAINTSBURY 
| [Woodeut] | with illustrations by A. J. Stuart- bye A. Thorburn, and 
C. Whymper | London | Longmans, Green, & Co. | . | 1893 | . 
Tuis is the first volume of the ‘Fur and Feather Series,’ published 
by Messrs. Longmans & Co., and the design is, as the able editor, 
Mr. Alfred E. T. Watson, states in the preface, to present monographs 
as complete as possible of those birds and beasts which in England 
are included under the head of Game. Each volume of the series 
is divided into three parts, the first treating with the Natural History 
of the species, the second with the killing, and the last with the 
cookery. In the present the Natural History of the Partridge has 
been written by the Rev. H. A. Macpherson, the shooting by 
Mr. A. J. Stuart-Wortley, and the final, or gastronomic portion, by 
Mr. George Saintsbury. 
From the well-known character of the authors, each recognised 
as pre-eminently an authority on his special subject, much might 
naturally be looked for. The style is lively and amusing, the matter 
well chosen, and we admit, that although from a boy we have been 
keen and devoted followers of the bonny brown birds, and thought 
we knew all about them, we rise from a perusal of these pages feeling 
that it is never too late to learn. 
Mr. Macpherson’s first chapter refers to the distribution of our 
charming game bird at home and abroad, with a special reference 
also to its supposed migratory instincts, perhaps latent and rarely to 
be detected in this country, but much more decided in some parts 
of the Continent. Next we have the history of the Partridge in the 
fields, their habits and great diversity of food, both insect and 
vegetable. We have ourselves noticed, a fact which is not mentioned 
by the author, that in districts where grass lands predominate, and 
the few scattered stubble are cleared of their last trace of grain, 
that Partridges feed much on the tender shoots of grasses, a diet 
which certainly does not improve their flavour, for we think it goes 
beyond dispute that for the table nothing excels a plump young 
grain-fed Partridge late in September. In succeeding pages 
Mr. Macpherson treats of love, courtship, and nesting, and next 
follows a prettily-written chapter on Partridges as pets; then 
a valuable and scientific treatise on colour and the variations in 
plumage, and the readiest means of distinguishing the male 
fromthe female, followed by a graphic sketch of poaching and 
poachers. 
April 1894. 
