270 USEFUL BIRDS. 



among the dead leaves, under the foliage of ferns and shrub- 

 bery, continually taking insects from leaf, stem, and frond, 

 or picking them from the ground. Meanwhile, the mother 

 marches slowly in their rear, perhaps to guard them against 

 surprise from any keen-scented animal that may follow on 

 the trail. She seems to be almost always on the alert, and 

 a single warning note from her will cause the young birds to 

 flatten themselves on the ground or to hide under leaves, 

 where they will often remain motionless until they are 

 trodden upon, rather than run the risk of betraying them- 

 selves by attempting to escape. For this reason any one 

 who disturbs a Partridge with her brood should be very care- 

 ful not to approach too closely, lest he tread on the young 

 birds. When, as sometimes happens, the intruder has taken 

 the mother unawares, and approached close to her tender 

 brood, she seems nearly distracted in her anxiety, and, scream- 

 ing, flies directly at her enemy. The sound she makes at 

 such times has been likened to the whine of a young puppy ; 

 but to my mind her first cry more nearly resembles the 

 squeal a rabbit gives when, startled in the moonlit woods. 

 When thus surprised the young may be seen for a brief 

 moment as they run or fly, seeking a safe hiding-place, 

 while the mother attempts to lead their pursuer away by 

 feigning lameness and fluttering along the ground. Should 

 this transparent ruse succeed, she then flies off as well as 

 ever, and remains away until she believes all danger has 

 passed, when she quietly returns and calls her brood. Evi- 

 dently even the sharp-nosed fox finds it hard to detect the 

 little birds so long as they lie quiet, and they seem to leave 

 little or no scent as they run rapidly over the dry leaves. 

 Some keen-eyed Hawk occasionally gets one, and they some- 

 times succumb to a disease aggravated by exposure to heavy, 

 continuous rains. Woodticks and lice together are said to 

 be fatal to them, and a species of botfly is said to attack 

 them; but under ordinary conditions about half of each 

 brood comes to maturity. 



The wing quills grow very fast, and before many days 

 have passed the little chicks can fly short distances. Audu- 

 bon says he has seen them fl^' a few feet when but six or 



