81 



VIRGINIAN PARTRIDGE. 



VIRGINIAN COLIN. AMERICAN QUAIL. 



Ortyx Tirginiana, . . . MACGiirrvRAY. 



Tetrao Tirginianm, . . . JjnmMVS. 



Perdix Tirginiana, . . . Lathaji. Wnsoy. Axdvbox. 



Cot ur nix JTarghnda, . . . . Flejcdtg. 



Ortgx. Ortux — A Quail. Virginiana — Of Virginia. 



This bird, a native of North America, as its name implies, has been on numerous 

 occasions turned out in this country with a view to its permanent establishment as a 

 game bird ; the accounts of the success or failure of the attempts are by no means satisfac- 

 tory; though there seems to be no doubt that it has, on some occasions, nested; yet if the 

 success had equalled that which attended the introduction of the Ked-legged Partridge, we 

 think more reports of their being shot, would have found their way into the magazines and 

 papers. Montagu states that one was shot near Mansfield, which was in the collection 

 of the late Earl of Derby. A number of these birds were turned out many years ago 

 by Edward John Littleton, Esq., on his estate at Teddesley, in Staffordshire-, the probable 

 fate of which is hinted at farther on. A few years back Prince Albert introduced 

 them near "Windsor, but we have not heard how they succeeded. One was shot near 

 Chelsham Court, Surrey, in October, 1845, as recorded by W. Borrer, Esq., Jun., who 

 supposes it may have been one of those turned out by the Prince. Mr. Borrer says. 

 "I had a long conversation with the bailiff, (who shot the bird,) who informed me 

 that the bird had been heard, and occasionally seen, during two or three months, but 

 that owing to its great powers of ventriloquism, and the difficulty of flushing it, it was 

 not till the middle of October, 1845, that he succeeded in shooting it. The bird rose 

 from a broad hedge-row, with underwood and timber, (which we in Sussex call a "Shaw,") 

 whilst he was beating with some spaniels for a cock Pheasant, which had been marked 

 down there. It flew very straight, and very swiftly; something in the manner of the 

 Kingfisher. The note was described to me as consisting of two short, low whistles, fol- 

 lowed by one long, loud, and shrill." The Rev. Richard Lubbock informed Mr. Yarrell 



