52 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE PARTRIDGE 
coveys; I once counted twenty-four on my lawn 
within ten yards of the house. It was a pretty sight. 
One would see two or three rabbits, one or two 
perhaps just peeping out of the green shrubs or 
hopping about the lawn, or perhaps gravely sitting up 
and prospecting, while the partridges slowly pecked 
their way onward ; now and then one would stop to 
stretch a wing, or scratch the back of his head with 
his foot, a curious habit with partridges ; then one or 
two would suddenly crouch down as close as possible 
to the turf, and others would stretch themselves up 
to their full height, looking round alarmed ; then, a 
sudden scurry would take place, and away they would 
all run like racers, into the shrubberies or down into 
the ha-ha. The rabbits, catching the alarm, would 
pop into the geraniums or shrubs out of sight. A 
stray squirrel or two, mayhap, seized also with the 
panic, would scurry away up out of sight into the tall 
firs ; while half-a-dozen blackbirds and thrushes, which 
had been industriously occupied with the worms and 
grubs, would twitter off to some favourite thorn-bush 
or evergreen until the alarm had subsided. Presently, 
after ten minutes of quiet, one partridge would run 
out, then another, and another ; then a rabbit would 
peep out from amongst the tall geraniums, and seeing 
all secure, would hop out and commence nibbling the 
