PARTRIDGES IN THE FIELDS 21 
be, it does not cover up all places completely.’ So 
the bird struggles on in times of hardship, burrowing 
in the snow and gleaning an existence from many wild 
seeds. He is somewhat of a dainty feeder upon 
occasion, relishing the pupz of ants when obtainable, 
as well as every variety of the insect host that comes 
in its way. Slugs and worms, grasshoppers and the 
grubs of burrowing beetles, flies and other winged 
creatures vary the diet of the partridge according to 
the nature of the season and the choice of locality. 
Besides, it has a liking for young fresh shoots, such 
as it finds readily enough about the banks of the older 
hedgerows. So if a covey of birds are not employed 
in picking the aphides that cluster on the under- 
surface of the leaves of the turnips, you may hazard 
a guess that they are botanising on their own account, 
gathering what John Evelyn calls ‘ those incomparable 
sallads of young herbs, taken out of the maws of 
partridges at a certain season of the year,’ which give 
them a preparation far exceeding all the art of cookery. 
Later in the summer they levy toll on the ripening 
berries of wild plants, gather the seeds of the weeds 
whose presence harasses the farmer: tender green 
shoots of heather, whortle berries and those of the 
ground brambles are easily partaken of when their 
turn comes. The partridge is a careful gleaner, and 
