STRANGE CREATURES WITH STRANGE VOICES. 107 



for some of the strangest noises that break the still- 

 ness of the mountain forest. The female is always 

 clucking and quirping on the approach of an intrud- 

 ing footstep, and she never ^.^^ seems to discov- 

 er it until it is within j^uj^^^ ^ couple of 

 yards of her re- .^^^^^Cf treat. I should 



imagine, ^^^^^^^^^W' ( ^^^ ^^^y f^'om this 

 circum- jf^^^^S^^^^l'"-'] stance but from the 



fact that the male 

 bird makes such a rum- 

 pus in spring when he 

 calls his mate, that she is a 

 The Partridge. bit deaf. One almost treads 



upon the tail of a partridge 

 before it occurs to the creature to get out of the 

 way ; then there is a fearful whir-r-r-r-r, violent 

 and startling enough to set one's heart beating, and 

 the bird is gone, not, however, without making the 

 following vocal exclamation, ja ^ p==~ 



whistled in a variety of tones | ffl ' 'I T f 



c±3 



as shrill and explosive as some \Nmeu-nhieu.-eu-eueu-eu! 



of the remarks of the red squirrel. I always imagine 

 the bird saying, " Why in thunder didn't you say you 

 were coming ? it's a shocking surprise ! " 



But this chick-o'-the woods is no fool ; he knows 

 he can make noise enough to rattle the sportsman, 

 shake his nerves, and spoil his aim, so he does not 



