98 TETRAONID.E. 



In a wild state the Red-legged Partridge is chiefly found 

 in hilly countries, where bushes and copsewood abound, to 

 which it seems very partial. In France, about the Saone 

 and the Loire, both kinds, namely, the grey or common 

 English Partridge, and the Red-legged, may be seen in the 

 same district, although they never unite in one covey. 



The habits of the Red-legged Partridge are very much 

 like those of our grey Partridge : it runs on the ground 

 in the same manner, and is quite as strong on the wing ; it 

 also lives very sociably with its mate and family, feeds almost 

 the same, and scratches the ground alike for food. It is not 

 quite so terrestrial in its habits, being occasionally seen to 

 take refuge in a tree. It is also more noisy ; and when a 

 covey of them is fired at, the birds split or disperse more 

 readily than our Partridge ; consequently affording better 

 sport, if the sportsman is provided with a good dog. 



The call-note of the Red-legged Partridge sounds some- 

 what like cockileek, and in the spring of the year it is fre- 

 quently uttered by the male bird. The birds in question 

 may be kept in confinement, but they will not thrive for any 

 length of time. 



The food of the Red-legged Partridge consists chiefly 

 in insects of many descriptions, beetles, grasshoppers, ants 

 and their eggs, flies, spiders, grubs, maggots, and small 

 snails ; they also feed on corn, wheat by preference, and 

 the young shoots of clover, and many other vegetable produc- 

 tions. 



In the spring of the year the male bird looks out for its 

 mate, and, after many a fight with his antagonists, he retires 

 with his partner to some chosen spot, where the hen scratches 

 a hollow place in the ground among the standing corn, or 

 near a bush, and there she deposits her fourteen to eighteen 

 eggs. The eggs are much larger than those of the grey 

 Partridge, and differ also widely in their colouring, as will 

 be seen in our plate. 



