Class II. PARTRIDGE. 365 



The affection of the female for the young 

 even exceeds the passion above alluded to. I 

 well recollect in my neighbourhood a strong in- 

 stance. A partridge followed by a large covey 

 of very young birds, was surprised by a violent 

 shower of rain. She collected them under her, 

 and to secure them farther, spread her wings to 

 prevent every injury. In vain !. The storm 

 encreased, yet she would not quit her charge, 

 she preferred death, and we found her lifeless 

 (with all the little brood) with distended wings, 

 retaining her attempt to preserve them even to 

 the very article of death. 



The British name of this bird is Coridr, a 

 word now obsolete ; that now in use is Pertri- 

 sen, borrowed from the Normans. 



[The common partridge occurs no where 

 in Turkey in a lower latitude than Salonica, or 

 south of Thrace and Macedonia. The red- 

 legged species is found throughout Greece in 

 all the rocky districts whether high or low, but 

 in no other situation. The latter feeds on 

 seeds and berries, the former is confined to 

 corn-land ; in no instance are they observed 

 together. 



Red legged partridges were introduced from Red Legged 

 France into Suffolk about the year 1770, and 



