Chapter XXVII. 



PARTRIDGES. 



But for the fact that the "Bob White" is often spoken 

 of as a partridge, it would have been necessary to apologize 

 for introducing him first amongst the quails and then here. 

 As a matter of fact, however, this beautiful bird, of which 

 Americans have a right to be proud, is much nearer the 

 partridge in weight than he is to the quail, and in other ways 

 has real claims to one of his classical titles Perdix Virginiana, 

 the Virginian partridge. His re-introduction here, however, 

 is due to a desire to call closer attention to the experiment 

 mentioned in the last chapter. A few Shanghai sportsmen 

 conceived the idea that it might be possible to acclimatize 

 the Bob White in China. A committee was formed in the 

 year 1890, Dr. Ward Hall taking the chair: the necessary 

 money was forthcoming, and the order sent. No fewer than 

 425 birds were collected and sent from Chicago. There must, 

 unfortunately, have been gross ignorance or gross careless- 

 ness in transit, for from that time the story is tragical. 

 "Two coops, originally containing 36 birds each, arrived at 

 San Francisco on the 21st December with 43 dead and 29 

 live birds in them. On 27th December, 10 coops more were 

 received, containing 203 live and 150 dead birds. When they 

 were shipped by the 'Belgic,' 69 more had died, leaving 

 only 163 alive. When transhipped in Yokohama only four 

 birds were alive, and of these one died on the voyage, so that 

 of the 425 shipped from Chicago for the 'Belgic,' only three 

 reached this alive." This trinity was turned loose, and an 

 ' Express" issued imploring men to be pitiful if they happened 

 to flush either of them. As a guide it was mentioned that 

 the birds were about the size of the bamboo partridge. A 

 gleam of hope closes the chronicle. About a month later two 

 of them were seen, "strong on the wing.'" Both might have 

 belonged to one sex: at any rate, I have never known of any 

 progeny. But apart from the terrible mismanagement that 

 there must have been, is not the story sufficiently encouraging 

 for at least one more elfort to be made with all possible care, 

 and what is even more necessary, knowledge. The second 

 application should go to one of the ornithological societies in 

 the States, where, if my repeated experience of Americari 



