504 RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE. 
but since ‘driving’ became a system, the only objection to it is its 
inferiority for the table. Attempts at introduction on the mainland 
of Scotland and in the Orkneys have failed; nor have those made 
in Ireland since 1844 been successful. There is no evidence that 
this species undertakes long migrations from, or on, the Continent. 
In the Channel Islands the Red-legged Partridge is an alien, while 
it is decidedly rare in Normandy and the north of France, and in 
Belgium it is almost unknown. In the centre, east, and south of 
France it is generally distributed, and it is the only red-legged 
species indigenous to the Spanish Peninsula. On the Rock of 
Gibraltar the Barbary Partridge (C. petrosa), with drown nape and 
collar, has been introduced from Morocco ; and its eggs have occa- 
sionally been hatched in England, but the bird has never maintained 
a footing here. The Red-legged Partridge is also found in the Azores, 
Madeira, and on the island of Gran Canaria: probably introduced 
by the early settlers. In the Alps and the Apennines its progress 
eastward is barred by the presence of the larger and stronger 
C. saxatilis, which also occupies Sicily ; Sardinia is held by the 
Barbary Partridge; but the Balearic Islands, Elba, Corsica, and 
part of North-western Italy are left to the ‘French’ bird. Few species 
bear confinement better, for thousands of birds are carried about 
in cages during the greater part of their lives, owing to the southern 
practice of using them to lure their wild relatives within shot. 
The scanty nest is usually on grassy banks, often in thick brush- 
wood, and not infrequently in the side or on the top of a stack ; the 
15-18 eggs are yellowish-white, speckled with rufous-brown: mea- 
surements 1°6 by 1:25 in. Incubation lasts 23 days. The food 
consists of leaves, seeds and insects, obtained chiefly on waste land 
of a drier and more open nature than that frequented by the 
Grey Partridge. The latter is seldom interfered with; the two 
species living apart, and very rarely interbreeding. The Red-legged 
Partridge occasionally perches on trees, and may often be seen on 
gates and palings. The note is a grating chuk, chuk, chitkar. 
The adult male has the bill red ; crown grey ; a black streak from 
each eye backwards and downwards to a gorget of the same colour ; 
general upper parts hair-brown ; tail-feathers chestnut ; throat white ; 
breast pearl-grey; belly fawn-colour; flanks greyish, handsomely 
barred with black and chestnut ; legs red, with rudimentary spur- 
knobs. Length 13°5 in. ; wing 6:25in. The female is rather smaller 
and duller in colour, without any knobs on her legs. The young 
have no grey on the throat and hardly any black on the gorget. 
