RUFFED GROUSE; PARTRIDGE; 
PHEASANT. 
BONASA UMBELLUS. 
HE peculiar interest in the partridge is owing to 
its close kinship with our domestic fowls. The 
wild and the tame hens look alike and act alike; their 
habits are similar; their eggs differ only in size; and 
both prefer nests on the ground. They gather their 
chickens under their wings, and call them with like 
clucks. The partridge seems to have an appreciation 
of all this, and delights in coming near our buildings, 
even lighting upon them and on the well-curb, and 
flying down into the door-yard. Not long since, a young 
miss of our village drove one into a shed, and caught 
it in her hands. 
Living for more than thirty years in a grove, I have 
had interesting experiences with these birds. One even- 
ing last summer, on going just at dark to see what dis- 
turbed a hen grouping her chickens out-of-doors, I found 
a partridge sitting in her nest, refusing to be driven out 
by the proprietor, who was both picking it and striking it 
with her wings. I took it up, carried it into the house, 
examined it, and placed it on the floor. It was full 
grown and plump, but appeared to be unable to stand, 
