296 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



is known as the Bohemian Pheasant, and in many 

 respects presents indications of a normal race or 

 species. 



122. COMMON OR GREY PARTRIDGE. 



Perdix cinerea. 



This well-known and most worthy bird has been 

 so often and so fully treated of from every point of 

 view that it is difficult for us to write anything that 

 is not already familiar to our readers, but we confess 

 that having been, since our earliest shooting-days, 

 especially devoted to the pursuit of this species, it is 

 almost equally difficult to abstain from dwelling upon 

 a subject which recalls so many pleasant memories 

 and incidents connected with our own county. In 

 an average January, when the turnips are no more, 

 the Partridges of our neighbourhood take to the grass- 

 lands and seem to feed principally upon the ends of 

 the tender grasses and such hedge-berries as they can 

 find under and about the great thorn-fences which 

 separate our pasture-fields. In a mild February, and 

 sometimes even earlier, our Partridges pair, though 

 they seldom lay before the third week of April. 

 During March and the early part of April these birds 

 seem to frequent the young corn more than at any 

 other season ; but when they begin to lay it would be 

 somewhat hard to name any place in the country 

 that may not be selected as a site for the simple 

 scratching and few leaves and grass-stems which form 

 the nest. In a dry season Partridges certainly prefer 

 our meadow-lands and the rough patches of weed 

 along the ditch-sides, but standing corn, mowing 



