1902.
May 25
(No 5)
  Partridges were drumming freely and steadily all
the forenoon. We heard all three of the birds at the
farm and a fourth in the Davis Hill swamp. The
drummer last mentioned must be the mate of the hen
whose nest I found on the 13th on the ridge near
Birch Island although when sitting she could scarce
hear the sound of her bird's wings, partly owing to the
distances (about 300 yards) but chiefly to the presence
of an intervening knoll covered with dense woods. We
visited this nest to-day. The bird sat much closer than
on the 13th allowing us to get within fifteen feet when
she rose directly from the nest and toward and up & off through
the tree tops. There were, as on the first occasion, eleven
eggs.
  On the edge of the Barrett Run, within easy hearing of
two cock birds which were drumming at the time, and
about midway between them, we came upon a hen Partridge
with eight or ten young. The mother flew a few yards
and then began tumbling about on the ground making
the usual whining outcry. The young, which appeared to
be only a day or two old, ran feebly off in every
direction calling peep, peep, peep in low but shrill tones. They
went only a few yards before stopping & hiding. Seton
marked one & I another. Both crawled in under dead leaves
where they crouched motionless & silent, but with their eyes
wide open. We lifted one of them gently. It made no
effort to escape but sat continually & without fear in the
palms of our opened hands. When we put it down
on the ground it remained exactly where it was
placed. The mother, meanwhile, was circling about
whining but concealed from our sight among some bushes.
104