54 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE PARTRIDGE 
CHAPTER VI 
THE COLOURS OF PARTRIDGES 
THE plumage of the partridge varies in shade in 
different localities. Speaking broadly, birds bred on 
high, poor land tend to become small in size and 
grey in colour, while such as are reared in highly 
farmed districts are often large and highly coloured. 
The partridge has the forehead, throat, and two sides 
of the head, chestnut ; the upper parts exhibit a har- 
monious blend of russet brown and grey, varied with 
dark bars and buffstreaks. The rump and upper tail 
coverts are ‘pepper and salt,’ set off to great advan- 
tage by rich rufous markings. The tail is pure chest- 
nut red, with the exception of the central feathers. 
The breast is grey, finely barred with black ; the 
abdomen is white, adorned with a blackish chest- 
nut horse-shoe. The distinctions which mark the 
sexes of this bird have been variously described by 
authors. Mr. Ogilvie Grant, who has made the study 
of game birds peculiarly his own, recently devoted 
