1170 Birds. 



Common Partridge, Perdix cinerea. Pairs early in February, 

 or a little sooner, if the winter be very mild. The young follow their 

 parents in a " covey " till the wild and windy weather commences in 

 autumn, w 7 hen several coveys " pack," i. e. become gregarious. As to 

 changes of the w r eather, the partridge is extremely " praescia venturi ;" 

 for before a storm of wind or rain, it becomes very wild, and thus ac- 

 curately forbodes bad weather. Indeed, birds in general are highly 

 susceptible of atmospheric variations ; and the Baron Cuvier on this 

 subject justly w T rites: — "leur passage rapide dans les diflTerentes re- 

 gions de l'air, et Taction vive et continue de cet element sur eux, leur 

 donnent des moyens de pressentir les variations de 1' atmosphere dont 

 nous n'avous nulle idee, et qui leur out fait attribuer, des les plus an- 

 ciens temps, par la superstition, le pouvoir d'annoncer Favenir." 

 — (Regne Animal, p. 300, torn. i.). Partridges vary in plumage a 

 good deal according to age, or situation. In this neighbourhood a 

 variety occurs in autumn with a white crescent on the breast, but this 

 I am inclined to consider, with Dr. Fleming, as only the hen of the 

 first or second year. The heaviest partridge (a cock) which I remem- 

 ber to have shot, weighed very soon after it was killed, one pound and 

 two ounces, on Jan. 24, 1825. 



Common Quail, Coturnix vulgaris. A very scarce visiter in 

 this vicinity ; but sometimes met with in a hot summer. Several per- 

 sons, who have been desirous of retaining a breed of quails on their 

 estates, after having imported some old birds, and having been suc- 

 cessful for one, or perhaps with a stray pair or two for the second 

 year, find their labour at last to be in vain, and discover the impossi- 

 bility of preventing them from leaving their native fields. Had they 

 recollected that quails are by nature migratory birds, they might have 

 saved themselves much care, and some expense. They migrate from 

 Europe to Africa in vast flocks : and, according to Mr. Lloyd, they 

 reach in their northern summer-visits, as far even as Sweden. Mr. 

 Yarrell has related (Brit. Birds, vol. ii. p. 358, &c.) some matters of 

 considerable historical interest with reference to this species, and in 

 addition to them I would only observe, that the celebrated Island of 

 Ortygia, on which a part of the very ancient and renowned city of 

 Syracuse was built, and on which alone the present town now stands, 

 was so named from fyjTvl, a quail, in consequence of the number of 

 those birds that used to frequent it. 



Great Plover, Stone Curlew, (Edicnemus crepitans. Mr. John 

 Grey has a specimen in his collection, which was shot in the high 



