108 FAMILIAR LIFE IN FIELD AND FOREST. 



hurry himself to move off. His mottled brown 

 colors are amply protective, and if he " lies low " he 



can save himself 

 the trouble of an 

 arduous retreat on 

 the wing. Par- 

 tridges do not care 

 to fly if they can 

 avoid it. Indeed, a 



Wing of the partridge. . , -, 



glance at my draw- 

 ing of the wing shows that it is not the best shape 

 for flying. Compared with the pigeon's wing * it is 

 short and stumpy, although handsome. 



The strangest noise the partridge mates may be 

 heard in the spring ; then the male bird mounts an old 

 stump or a log and begins his " crow " in the usual 

 way, but his voice is silent. He beats his wings ex- 

 actly as the rooster does, but with an expert's ability, 

 and does no more. Thumj), thump, thump, thump, 

 thump, thump, th-ur-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r ! 



Thump ■ump-amp-ump-p thr-r-r-r-r-r. 



The tone is that of a mufiled snare drum. He is un- 

 questionably the drummer of Nature's orchestra. 



* The carrier pigeon has been known to fly one hundred miles 

 in an hour. 



