CHAPTER XVIII; 



PARTRIDGES: General Management. 



THERE are one or two points in connection with the pre- 

 servation of partridges which hardly lend themselves to 

 discussion in detail under the general headings of the 

 previous chapters, and which it is necessary to consider as 

 bearing upon the successful preserving of these birds. 

 One of the most important of these is the numerical 

 relation of the sexes and the mating habit amongst 

 partridges. 



It has been practically conclusively shown that the 

 relative numbers of male and female partridges in these 

 islands are as sixty-five to seventy-five, which, seeing that 

 the birds are strictly monogamous, points to an actual 

 excess of hen- over cock-birds. This is not an 

 unusual feature amongst birds which pair annually 

 or for life. Taking into consideration the manner in 

 which it is usual to kill down the old cock-birds, not 

 necessarily effete, it is by no means surprising that of late 

 years the cry of barren birds has been a frequent and a 

 widespread one. This has been the case to far larger 

 extent upon the ordinary preserves than upon the large 

 partridge manors, and is due to one or two somewhat 

 widely differing causes. It is attributable to some extent 

 to the shooting of driven birds where driving is not 

 thoroughly understood and carried out, and also to the 



