342 
COMMON TARTRIDGE. 
central parts in respect to latitude ; Germany, 
England, Holland, and the north of France, are 
the most congenial spots ; the south of France and 
Italy producing but few ; and Turkey, the islands 
of the Grecian Archipelago, Norway, and Lapland, 
being utterly destitute of the species : they are 
very much affected by heat or cold, both being 
alike unfavourable to their increase : the severe 
winter of 1814 nearly extirpated the race in one 
of the provinces of Sweden. They pair about the 
third week in February ; and sometimes, after 
pairing, if the weather be very severe, they collect 
together and form again into coveys. The female 
lays her eggs, usually from fifteen to eighteen in 
number, in a rude nest of dry leaves and grass, 
formed upon the ground ; these are of a greenish 
grey colour. The period of incubation is three 
weeks, and so closely do the females sit on their 
eggs when near hatching, that a Partridge, as re- 
lated to Montagu by a gentleman of veracity, has 
been taken with her eggs, and carried in a hat to 
some distance ; and that she continued to sit in 
confinement, and brought out her young: near the 
middle of July the young are mostly excluded, 
and in about three weeks are enabled to fly : the 
young brood run about as soon as they are hatched; 
both parents are equally anxious for their pre- 
servation, and lead them immediately to ant-hills, 
on the pupre of which insects they principally feed 
at first. The young flock together in broods, 
called coveys, till the returning spring, when they 
separate and pair, as abovementioned : their prin- 
cipal food consists of seeds, insects, and berries. 
