almoll continually in motion, fometimes fporting and bafking 
in the fun in moift fields or heaths, or forming continued 
circles in the air. In autumn they aifemble in confiderable 
numbers on marfhy heaths or commons, and feed on earth- 
worms and infects ; they are of a reftlefs difpofition, and fel- 
dom ftay long at one place;, they will frequently leave the 
interior of the country, and feek the fea-fhore ; when they 
have been on the coafts for a week or two, their flefh has a 
very unpleafant bitter flavour, at other times they are gene- 
rally efteem.ed ; their eggs are confidered as a great delicacy, 
?ind in our London markets fell for three fhillings a dozen. 
It does not make a neft, but depofits its eggs (four in num- 
ber) on a tuft of dry grafs ; the eggs are of a dark olive colour^ 
fpotted with black or very dark brown ; its attention to 
its young has often attracted obfervation, and it ufes ftratagem 
(as already noticed in the partridge) to induce any intruder to 
leave the vicinity of the eggs or young ; when difturbed it rifes 
but a little above the head of the intruding party, and continues 
fluttering and fcreaming in a lone of diftrefs. 
The young are at firft covered with a dark down, mixed 
with long white hair ; they run almoft as foon as hatched, 
following the parents in fearch of food ; they do not attain 
their full plumage till towards the end of July, nor the ufe of 
their wings until the fall of the year, which makes them an 
eafy prey to the bald buzzard, which may moft generally 
be feen hovering near their place of refort. 
