PAR 
the head is blue; the upper part of the body, the 
primaries, and the upper fide of rhe tail, are of a 
grafs green colour; the under fide of the body is 
of a yellowifh green; and the coverts of the wings 
are black, edged with yellowifh brown : the laft of 
thefe feathers are of a beautiful black colour; but 
the black is encircled with blue, and the blue 
with an olive brown. This mixture forms a very 
elegant and large fpot on the wings. The bill is 
very thick, and of a flefli-colour; the eyes are 
fmall, with white irides; and the feet are blackifli. 
PARROT FISH. This Fifh obtains it's 
name from the peculiar conformation of it's 
mouth, which is hooked like the bill of a Parrot. 
It is about a foot long; the colour is greenifli, va- 
riegated near the head with yellow; the fins, as 
well as the eyes, are blue; and the irides are yel- 
low. The icales are very large; and there are 
two rows of ftrong teeth in the mouth, with 
which it penetrates into mufcles and oyfters. It's 
flelli is very firm, and well-tafted. 
PARTRIDGE; the Tetrao Perdix of Lin- 
nsus. A well-known bird, of which there are 
feveral fpecies. 
Partridge, Common. This bird may be 
fiiid to live and breed only for the fportfmian's 
plcafure. The Britifli laws have taken it under 
their prote6lion; and, like a peacock or a hen, it 
may be confidered as private property. The only 
difference is, that the Partridge is fed in our 
farms, and the others in our yards: the former 
has it in it's power to change it's mafter, by chang- 
ing it's habitation; antl the latter are contented 
captives. 
In England, the Partridge is efteemed a favou- 
rite delicacy at the tables of the opulent; and 
the defire of keeping it to themfelves has induced 
them to ena6l fuch laws for it's prefervation as 
do not feem to harmonize with the general fpirit 
of legiflation. By an a6l pafiTed in the tenth year 
of the reign of his prefent Maiefty, any perfon 
v;ho Iball wilfully take, kill or deftroy, any phea- 
fant or Partridge, or ufe any gun, dog, fnare, net, 
or other engine, for that purpofe, in tlie night, 
between one hour after fun-fetting and one hour 
before llin-rifing, fliall for the firft offence be 
commited to gaol, or the houfe of correclion, for 
any time not exceeding fix months, nor lefs than 
three; and for every lubfequent offence, for any 
time not exceeding twelve months, nor lefs than 
fix: and fhall alfo, within three days after com- 
mitment for the firft or any fubfequent offence, be 
once publicly whipped in the town, &:c. where 
fuch gaol, or houfe of correftion fliall be, between 
the hours of twelve and one in the day. — What 
can be more arbitrary, than thus to refrrain the 
poor from the ufe of thofe creatures which the 
Almighty intended fhould be free ? If Partridges 
and pheafants, like common poultry, could be 
made legal property, be taught to keep within 
certain diftrifts, and to feed only on thofe grounds 
■which belong to the man whofe paftimes they 
improve, or whole table they furnifli, it might 
then, with fome appearance of juftice, be ad- 
mitted, that he who fed them had a right to claim 
them: but the cafe is far otherwife; they feed 
every where, and on every man's ground. Thofe 
birds which are nourifned by all, by the law of 
reafon, belong to all ; nor can any one man, or 
any bodv of men, juftly inftitute an exclufive 
right to them while they continue in a ftate of 
nature. 
The old law luminaries of this countr/ m.ain- 
tain, that all wild animals, fuch as deer, liares, 
foxes, and the like, are thofe which^. on account 
of their fwifcnefs or ficrcenefs, fly the dDnvinion of 
man ; and in fuch therefore no perfon can have a 
property, unlefs they are tamed or reclaimed by 
him: hence it appears that, by the common law, 
every man hath an equal right to fuch creatures 
as v/ere not naturally under the power of nian ; 
and that the mere capture or feizure of them 
created a property in them. 
The immenfe quantity of game about the en- 
virons oi Paris has been confidered as a badge of 
national flavery; and yet the French have no 
game-laws in the remoter parts of their kingdom : 
the game indeed is preferved for the king, in a 
few places, but is free in almoft every other part 
of that kingdom.. In England, the prohibition 
is general ; and the peafant, or even the farmer, 
cannot poflefs what flaves in other countries arc 
at full liberty to enjoy. 
To return from a digreffion excited folely by 
the fpirit of liberty: the cock Partridge vi^eighs 
about fifteen ounces, and tlie hen thirteen. The 
bill is v/hite; and the crown of the head is brown, 
fpotted with reddifli white. The. cheeks and 
forehead are of a deep orange colour, but much 
paler in the males than in the other fex ; the neclc 
and breaft aj-e beautifully marked with narrow un- 
dulated lines of afli-colour and black; and in the 
hind part of the neck there is a flrong mixture of 
ruft-colour. On the breaft of the male there is a 
broad mark fliaped like a horfe-flioe, and of a 
deep orange hue. Each feather on the back is 
marked with feveral femicircular lines of black 
and reddifli brown ; and the greater C[uill-feathers, 
are dufl<y, fpotted with pale red on each web. 
The tail is compofed of eighteen feathers; the fix 
outermoft on each fide are of a bright ruft-coloux'-, 
the reft being marked v/ith irre2:uiar lines of 
black and pale reddifli brov/n; and the legs are 
whitifli. 
The Partridge is found in every country, and 
in every climate; as v/ell in the frozen regions 
about the pole, as the torrid tra6ls under the equa- 
tor. Wherever it refides, it feems to adapt iticlf 
to the nature of the climate. In Greenland, it is 
brown in fummer; but, when winter makes it's 
appearance, it receives a new covering adapted 
to the leaPjn: it's outward plumage then afliimes 
the colour of the fnow among which it gleans it's 
food, and is cloathcd with a warm down beneath. 
Thus, by the warmth and colour of it's plumage, 
it is doubly fitted for it's fituation; the one de- 
fending it from the cold, and the other prevent- 
ing it from being noticed by it's enemies. The 
Partridges of Barakonda are longer legged and 
fwifter footed; and take up their refidence in the 
higheft- rocks and precipices. 
All naturalifts art agreed, that Partridges arc 
extremely falacious; and thofe who are curious to 
obtain exaft information on this fubjeft, we beg 
leave to refer to Pliny ; and to Edwards, in the pre- 
face to his Gleanings. The manners and habits 
of thefe Sirds in many refpects refemble all thofe 
of poultry; but their cunning and inftin6ls feem 
fuperior to thofe of the larger kinds. Living in 
the very neighbourhood of their enemies, thev 
have perhaps more frequent occafion to put their 
little arts in praftice, and learn by habit the means 
of evafion or fafety. Whenever a dog, or any 
other formidable animal, approaches the nefl of 
a Partridge, the hen pra6lifes every art to allure 
him ffoai the fite : flie keeps at a litde diftance 
before 
