has not for the firft two years, the beautiful chefnut mark 

 in the form of a horfe-fhoe on the bread, but after that time, 

 it ceafes to be a diftinguifhing character ; the bare fkin round 

 the eye may always be depended on, for in the female it is 

 never of that beautiful fcarlet colour, but inclines rather to a 

 dull crimfon. 



Partridges are very common throughout this ifland, but 

 are mod numerous in the cultivated parts; they are but feldom 

 met with at any confiderable diftance from arable land, and 

 are not found in the mountainous parts of the kingdom. Mr. 

 Montague obferves, " in Scotland, the Partridge, the Grous, 

 and the Ptarmagan, each have their diftrict ; the firft is only 

 to be found in the glens or vallies, the fecond on the firft hills, 

 and the laft only on the fummits of the higher! mountains, and 

 it is not often they intrude on each other." 



It is very prolific, laying from twelve to twenty eggs of a 

 pale brown colour, in a hole fcratched for the purpofe, loofely 

 lined with dry grafs and leaves ; it fets about three weeks, the 

 latter part of the time very clofely, and will fometimes fuffer 

 itfelf to be removed with the eggs, rather than quit them. The 

 young run about almoft as foon as hatched, frequently with 

 part of the mell adhering to them ; the whole brood imme- 

 diately repair to ant-hills, as ants eggs form the principal 

 part of the food of the young ones for the firft few weeks : 

 their eggs are often hatched under a common hen, but 

 owing to the difficulty of obtaining a fufficient fupply of ants 

 eggs, they are not reared without great trouble ; when full 

 grown they feed on all kinds of grain, and are alfo very partial 

 to the leaves of turnips. 



The 



