RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE. 99 



The male bird takes no part in the incubation, and leaves 

 the care of the young brood entirely to the hen, until they 

 are half-grown, when he returns to them, and remains with 

 them until the next spring. 



The bird now before us is by far more beautiful than the 

 foregoing species ; it is also a larger bird, measuring three- 

 quarters of an inch more in length. The throat and cheeks 

 are of a pure white, encircled all round with a perfect black 

 band : on the breast and sides of the neck this band is sur- 

 rounded by a gorget of black spots. Over the eyes the bird 

 has a white streak ; the top of the head and all the upper 

 parts, as well as the upper part of the breast, are of a cine- 

 reous rufous ; the lower part of the breast and belly are 

 greyish; lower part of the belly and vent are of a clear rufous 

 colour ; the cinereous side and flank feathers are barred 

 with white, black, and rufous. The beak, eyes, orbits, 

 and legs are of a beautiful crimson red. 



The egg figured 154 is that of the Red-legged Par- 

 tridge. 



H 2 



