354 



PARTRIDGE. 



Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 3. p. 20. t. 32. f. 2. and 3.— Grosschnabliger Kernbeiser, 



Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 1. p. 137 lb. Vog. Deut. 1. t. f. 1. old male 



Selby, pi. 53**. fig. 1. p. 254. 



The bill of this species, according- to Selby, is very strong, and five- 

 eighths of an inch deep ; shorter than the middle toe, much hooked, 

 and the crossing point of the lower mandible, not reaching so high as 

 the ridge of the upper one ; but in the common crossbill, it comes 

 beyond that part : the head large in proportion, body thick, and consi- 

 derably exceeding in size that of the common species ; the whole of 

 the upper and under parts of the body have an intermixture of tile red, 

 sulphur and wax yellow, and grey ; the wings of a deep hair brown 

 colour, greater coverts and quills tinged and margined with wine yellow; 

 tail the same as the wings; legs and toes yellowish brown; claws black. 



The specimen, from which this description is taken, was sent from 

 Ross-shire, and appears to be a young male, as it answers to Temminck's 

 description of the bird of a year old. According to that author, the 

 plumage of the old male is principally of an oil green colour, tinged 

 with grey. The throat and sides of the neck bluish grey ; rump sul- 

 phur yellow, inclining to lemon yellow ; breast and belly the same, but 

 mixed with grey ; flanks with streaks of blackish grey. 



Another very mutilated specimen of this bird is in the Edinburgh 

 Museum : in manners it resembles the other species of this singular 

 genus. It inhabits the pine forests of the Arctic regions, where it is 

 found in great numbers, retiring on the approach of winter. 



According to Temminck, it visits Poland, Prussia, and other parts of 

 Germany, during the winter months, and breeds there at that season, 

 returning to its native regions in the north, on the approach of summer. 

 In France and Holland it only occurs accidentally : the nest is skilfully 

 constructed upon the branches of a fir-tree ; the eggs are said to be four 

 or five in number, of an ash-grey colour, marked at the greater end 

 with large irregular spots of blood red, and over the rest of the surface 

 with minute specks. The food consists of the seeds of the fir and 

 alder tree.* 



PARTRIDGE (Perdix cinerea, Ray.) 



# Perdix cinerea, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. p. 645. sp. 9 Flem. Br. Anim. p. 44 Tetrao 



perdix, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 276. 13 Faun. Suec. No. 205.— Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 



757. sp. 13.— Perdix cinerea, Raii, Syn. p. 57. A. 2 Will. p. 118. t. 28.— 



Briss. 1. p. 219. 1.— La Perdrix Grise, Buff. Ois. 2. p. 401 lb. pi. Enl. 27. 



female — Temm. pig. et Gall. 3. p. 378 lb. Man. d'Orn. 2. p. 488 La petite 



Perdrix, Buff. Ois. 2. p. 417 Perdrix de Montagne, lb. 2. p. 419 lb. pi. 



Enl. 136. a local variety — Gemeines oder Graues Feldhuhn, Bechst. Naturg. 



Deut. 3. p. 1361 — Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 1. p. 303 Frisch, Vog. t. 114. 



male, t. 114. B. red variety, and t. 115. white or cream-coloured variety. — 

 Common Partridge, Br. Zool. 1. No. 96.— Arct. Zool. 2. p. 319. A.— Will. 

 (Angl.) p. 166. t. 28 — Albin, 1. t. 27.— Lath. Syn. 4. p. 762. 8.— Mont. Orn. 



