PARTRIDGE. 95 



lias the pleasure of seeing the young birds creep out of the 

 shell : the young run about as soon as they are hatched. 

 While the hen Partridge sits on the eggs, the male bird 

 keeps continually watching for her safety ; and when she goes 

 twice a day to feed, he always accompanies her. If the male 

 bird did not give its mate notice of danger, whether of the 

 approach of man or beast, the hen would hardly ever see her 

 young brood run about, for unless she takes flight it is im- 

 possible for her to contend against stoats, pole- cats, and the 

 like, and numberless enemies in the shape of bird-nesters, for 

 she sits so very close on the eggs towards the end of her time, 

 that any one might take her. 



We have for some time been induced to believe that 

 sporting dogs, and in particular pointers, had no nose, as it is 

 called, during the breeding time of game birds; but, on fur- 

 ther consideration and on observations lately made, we have 

 been induced to believe that birds while sitting on eggs do 

 either not give any scent, or such as misleads dogs and vermin. 

 Several times have we gone across a field and common, ac- 

 companied by two excellent dogs, where to our know- 

 ledge hen Partridges and pheasants were sitting on eggs, but 

 without the dogs taking the least notice of the nest, although 

 they always found the male birds. The year before last, there 

 being several broods of land-rails on Chertsey Mead, we went 

 with a pointer dog to find the nests, but without success, 

 although we found the birds. There was also a Partridge 

 sitting, of which no notice was taken by them. 



When the grass was nearly mown, a small patch or two 

 remained standing, among which was a pair of stoats 

 with a young family, also three broods of land-rails : the 

 stoats pursued the young land-rails and destroyed some. 

 All this time the Partridge sat on her eggs without being- 

 visited by the stoats; but no sooner did the young Partridges 

 come into the world, than we saw the stoats make straight 

 for the spot where the birds were. 



