124 RECREATIONS OF A NATURALIST 



these Red-legged Partridges near Taunton is worthy 

 of notice, since, in all probability, they wandered 

 there from some distance ; for I have not heard of 

 any being reared or turned out in this neighbour- 

 hood ; nor are they so numerous in the neighbour- 

 ing counties of Dorset or Wilts as to make it likely 

 that they came from either of those counties. In 

 the east of Somerset, near the Mendips, I am in- 

 formed by Mr Compton (the author of an interesting 

 little book on the parish of Winscombe, which has 

 a chapter on the birds of that neighbourhood), 

 • that the Red-legged Partridge was introduced at 

 Cheddar, about sixty-six years since, by Mr Cobley, 

 who was afterwards vicar of the parish. The birds 

 spread and drove the grey birds till they became so 

 strong that to preserve any of the old species it was 

 resolved to exterminate the foreigners. This was 

 done, and the grey birds were restored, but some of 

 the "red-legs" may have escaped. Mr Charles 

 Edwards shot some on the cross-side of our hill 

 about two years ago' [as above stated]. In regard 

 to these Mr Compton says : ' that Mr C. E. Smith, 

 of Maxe, thinks they must have come from some 

 other source, as he has shot over this manor and 

 district for many years, and had seen no " red-legs " 

 for forty years.' Those seen or killed at Kingston 

 and Nynehead, therefore, are not likely to be 

 strangers from the Mendip side of the county, and 

 I have never heard of any having been turned out 

 in this neighbourhood. Indeed, the only ones I 

 ever heard of about here were some which my 

 father had hatched from some eggs he brought with 



