64 TETRAONIDJU. 



Some years ago, a partridge in good condition, and having the 

 perfect use of its wings, was captured at an early hour of the 

 morning in the street portion of Donegal-square, Belfast, and 

 taken to a friend of mine, well known to be fond of birds. Its 

 wildness denoted that the bird had not escaped from captivity. 

 After being kept for some days in a town-yard the captive was set at 

 liberty, when it immediately rose high into the air and flew off to 

 the country. Its captor had no indication of what brought the 

 bird to town ; but it had probably been pursued from the country 

 by a hawk. The friend alluded to had a partridge in confinement 

 for some time in Belfast, which exhibited so strong a pugnacious 

 propensity that its exploits in this way were often witnessed with 

 much amusement. Birds of all kinds, including well- grown pullets, 

 of the domestic fowl — both cocks and hens — were, on being 

 placed in the inclosure with it, immediately attacked. It flew 

 instantaneously with great force and energy against any bird in- 

 troduced to its domicile, bringing the weight of its body to bear 

 against the intruder. The strangers seemed so astonished by the 

 attack as to become quite bewildered, and withstood it without 

 attempting to act on the defensive. They were, however, always 

 soon removed from the inhospitable partridge. 



A sporting friend has generally observed that by far the greater 

 number of partridges which he shot were males. On one occa- 

 sion, late in the autumn, seven birds of a covey which fell to his 

 gun (being all then seen, though others may previously have been 

 killed,) were of that sex. 



This species, as is well known, occasionally becomes white. The 

 last one, wholly of a pure white colour, which came under my 

 notice, was shot a few years ago, at Montalto House, county of 

 Down. 



When travelling from Liverpool to London by the mail-train 

 (8.3. hours) on May 7, 1846, 1 remarked that partridges, pheasants, 

 hares, and rabbits, though near the train, were not in the least 

 alarmed by it, as rooks and ring-doves were, — all of the many 

 birds of these two species having changed their quarters to some 

 distance. I was particularly struck by the indifference of the 



