342 



COMMON PARTRIDGE. 



central parts in respect to latitude ; Germany, 

 England, Holland, and the north of France, are 

 the most congenial spots ; the south of France and 

 Italy producing but few ; and Turkey, the islands 

 of the Grecian Archipelago, Norway, and Lapland, 

 being utterly destitute of the species : they are 

 very much affected by heat or cold, both being 

 alike unfavourable to their increase : the severe 

 winter of 1814 nearly extirpated the race in one 

 of the provinces of Sweden. They pair about the 

 third week in February; and sometimes, after 

 pairing, if the weather be very severe, they collect 

 together and form again into coveys. The female 

 lays her eggs, usually from fifteen to eighteen in 

 number, in a rude nest of dry leaves and grass, 

 formed upon the ground ; these are of a greenish 

 grey colour. The period of incubation is three 

 ■weeks, and so closely do the females sit on their 

 eggs M^hen near hatching, that a Partridge, as re- 

 lated to Montagu by a gentleman of veracity, has 

 been taken with her eggs, and carried in a hat to 

 some distance ; and that she continued to sit in 

 confinement, and brought out her young: near the 

 middle of July the young are mostly excluded, 

 and in about three weeks are enabled to fly : the 

 young brood run about as soon as they are hatched ; 

 both parents are equally anxious for their pre- 

 servation, and lead them immediately to ant-hills, 

 on the pupae of which insects they principally feed 

 at first. The young flock together in broods, 

 called coveys, till the returning spring, when they 

 separate and pair, as abovementioned : their prin- 

 cipal food consists of seeds, insects, and berries. 



