20 British Birds, with their Nests and Eggs 



Fam ily—PHA SIANID/E. 



The Red-Legged Partridge. 



Caccabis rufa, LiNN. 



THE Red-legged Partridge is a comparatively late introduction to the fauna 

 of the British Isles, having been acclimatized in England about 1770, by 

 the hatching of imported eggs under farm-yard fowls. It is now common in 

 many parts of the eastern counties, but is unknown in Scotland or Ireland. Owing 

 to a natural tendency on the part of the bird to seek congenial situations, writes 

 Mr. Saunders, it is also to be found in many other districts, but under no circum- 

 stances has it thriven in the west or on rich grass lands. Its stronghold is East 

 Anglia, where it frequents the higher and less cultivated soils. It has even 

 resisted attempts to exterminate it, made under the belief that it harassed the 

 Grey Partridge, and because its habit of running rendered dogs unsteady, and 

 precluded the possibility of walking it up; but since "driving" became a system, 

 the only objection to it is as regards its inferior quality for the table. Attempts 

 at introduction on the mainland of Scotland and in the Orkneys have failed; nor 

 have those made in Ireland since 1844 been successful. 



The Red-legged Partridges, of which there are several closely allied species, 

 four of which inhabit Europe, frequent fields and cultivated grounds like the 

 common species. They differ, however, somewhat in their habits, preferring to 

 run when disturbed, as they are exceedingly swift of foot. When, however, they 

 are made to take wing, their flight is rapid, and they will proceed for longer 

 distances than the common species. They not unfrequently fly up into the trees, and 

 a whole covey may be seen seated on a fence or low building. Their food is 

 identical with that of the common Partridge, grain, seeds, insects, and fruit. 



Like the other species of Caccabis, they are remarkably distinguished by the 

 feathers on the flanks being strongly barred, and they difier from the genus 

 Perdix in the two sexes being similar in plumage. Although they pair the male 

 is spurred, and sometimes in fact possesses more than a single pair of spurs. 



The Red-legged Partridge is extremely common in the south-west of Europe, 

 being distributed throughout the whole of France. In Portugal it is very 

 abundant, and may be regarded as the Partridge of the Spanish Peninsula. It 



