84 VIRGINIAN PARTRIDGE. 



are guided by her voice, which at that time resembles the twittering of young chickens, 

 and sheltered by her wings, in the same manner as those of the domestic fowl, but with 

 all that secrecy and precaution for their safety which their helplessness and greater danger 

 require." The habits of this bird when surprised with her young, are very similar to 

 those of our own Partridge ; feigning a broken wing or injured leg, so as to draw attention 

 to herself till the chicks have had time to secrete themselves, which they instantly do 

 when alarmed. 



We have had a letter, from which we make the following extract, handed to us by the 

 Rev. F. 0. Morris, to whom it was addressed. It is of considerable interest, as it contains 

 a recent instance of this pretty little bird attempting to breed in this country : — "Seeing 

 in the last number of your "British Birds" a plate of the Virginian Partridge, I write 

 to say, in case it should be of any interest to you, that I brought to England from 

 Canada, in the spring of 1852, two brace of them alive, and that in the autumn of the 

 same year one of the hens laid an egg, which, I am told, is rather uncommon in England. 

 Since then they have all died, suddenly, one by one ; the last having died about six weeks 

 ago. All of them appeared to be in good health, and were in excellent plumage to the 

 time of their deaths." 



I remain, Sir, Yours truly, 



HENRY NEWDIGATE, 



West Hallam, Derby, February 4th., 1854. Rifle Brigade. 



The following account of an attempt to naturalize this pretty little bird in Staffordshire, 

 recorded in "Loudon's Magazine" in 1831, contains many interesting particulars. The 

 writer signs himself J. C. : — "A few years ago I purchased two brace of these elegant little 

 birds from Mr. Cross, of Exeter Change, London, and brought them home with me in the 

 coach. I have a small garden walled round and covered with wire, into which I turned 

 them, but each brace separated from the other by a wire partition. Towards the latter 

 end of May I perceived one of the cock birds carrying straws, and twisting them about 

 over his head ; and I found they were making a nest within a bundle of pea-sticks, which 

 were placed in the garden for them to run under and hide themselves. This nest 

 was the joint production of male and female; it was placed on the ground within the 

 pea-sticks, and shaped much like that of the Wren, with a hole on one side, and 

 covered over at top. After the hen had laid about twelve eggs, she began to sit, and 

 with as much assiduity as our common hen. When I thought it was her time to hatch, 

 I examined the nest, and found it deserted, and the egg-shells, which had evidently 

 contained young birds, lying about. Much pleased with this circumstance, I went 

 cautiously about to find the dam with her little ones, and after searching a considerable 

 time, the first intimation I had of her presence was from her flying in my face with 



