155 Partridges. 



at first than grain. Do not allow the birds to drink exces- 

 sively if they show a disposition to do so, and give them a 

 first meal of broken wheat, dari, and crushed maize in 

 equal proportions, to which a little canary-seed and some 

 finely-chopped greaves have been added. Thoroughly 

 scald the food before giving it, but give it cold and 

 moderately dry. This food should be continued for two 

 or three days, and should serve the purpose of thoroughly 

 setting up the birds after their long and exhausting 

 journey. As soon as it is assured that they are picking 

 up, the necessity for scalding the food and crushing it no 

 longer exists, and they may be given whole grain consist- 

 ing of wheat and buckwheat, dari, very little small or 

 crushed maize, but some sort of green food must be pro- 

 vided, and a cut swede or kohl rabi given them to peck 

 at. When fit and ready to be released, the pens, if not 

 already there, must be removed to the place where the 

 turning away is to take place, and where also they may be 

 left for a night or two. If there be any native birds 

 handy, they will be attracted by the strangers, and be 

 furthermore encouraged to frequent the spots by having 

 similar feed put down for them to the penned birds. 

 When the latter are released, let them out a pair at a time 

 from each pen upon consecutive days, and continue to feed 

 a little outside the pens. If the directions given have 

 been followed, the birds are more likely to remain about 

 the neighbourhood where they have been released than to 

 stray far afield. Then, if the birds be of the right sort, 

 they will speedily fraternise with the local birds, and 

 success will attend the operation. 



In cases where it is not considered necessary, or may 

 not be convenient, to provide pens for the Hungarian 

 birds, they may be liberated straight away from the hampers 

 in which they arrive. As a rule, the hampers which 



