PARTRIDGES AS PETS 5r 
January, 1890, during severe weather, a hen partridge 
found her way into an outlying shed on a Surrey farm 
where a few fowls were kept, and, making friends with 
them, shared the food thrown to them daily. 'The 
cock bird was too shy to do the same, but was always 
seen skirting from thirty to forty yards off. The hen 
bird so completely lost the fear of man as to take food 
from the hand of the bailiff. When the month of April 
arrived, and nesting operations became imperative, 
this hen partridge disappeared with her mate and was 
thought to have gone for good; but when August 
came round she reappeared, so no doubt she had had 
her nest, satisfactorily reared her brood, and deserted 
them when full-grown. She at once resumed her 
suspended relations with the poultry, keeping them in 
rigid discipline, scolding and driving them away if 
they attempted to interfere with her feeding. 
A highly practical use for tame partridges kept 
in freedom was discovered by the late Mr. Francis 
Francis, who kept three tame birds on his place near 
High Wycombe, and found them ‘very useful z# Aeep- 
ing a good stock of birds close at home. They seemed 
to encourage the other birds to come close round the 
premises, and coveys constantly jugged in my garden 
and orchard. I have constantly seen one or two 
‘ HLS.C., Fveld, February 7, 1891. 
