PAR 
before h]m, feigning to be incapable of flying; 
and jud hopping up, and falling down before 
hini, but never advancing to fuch a diftance as to 
difcourage her piirfuer: at length, having entirely- 
drawn hirn from her fecret treafure, fhe at once 
takes wing, and difappears. The danger being 
over, and the doo: withdrawn, ihe calls her young, 
\v!;o immediately affemble at her cry, and follow 
her in her excurfions. A covey gener.illv con- 
fiils of ten or fifteen ; and a Partridge will live 
from fifceen to feventeen years, if unmolefied. 
Partridges, properly Ipeaking, form no nefts, 
but lay ilieir eggs on any fpot of ground where 
they can find a little hay or frraw. Their eggs 
are of a greyiHi colour, with ayellowifh call ; and 
have pretty iiard (hells. 
Corn-fields are the places that Partridges mofi" 
delight in, efpecialiy while the corn is growing; 
for that is a fafe retreat, v.-herc they remain un- 
dillurbed, and under which they uiually breed. 
Thev frequent the fame fields after the corn is 
cut down, but with a different intent; for they 
then feed on fuch corn as has dropped from the 
ears; and find a fufiicient fneiter under the covert 
of the ftalks, er()ecially in wheat ftubble. V/hen 
the ftubble is much trodden down by men or 
beads, they retire to the barley ftubble, and there 
conceal themfelves in coveys of ten or fifteen. 
When the winter comes on, and the ftubble fields 
are either trodden down or ploughed up, they 
then retire to the upland meadows, where they 
lodge in the high grafs, and among rufhes: and 
fometimes tliey refort to the low coppice-woods, 
efpecialiy if there are corn-lands contiguous to 
them. 
Partridges have been caught by various expe- 
dients. Fowlers fometimes provide themfelves 
with tv/o or three nets, having meflies fomewhat 
fmaller than thofe of pheafant nets; and walking 
round about the covey, fix a net ib as to draw 
over them on pulling a line at a diftance. This 
may be eafily efFe6led ; for fo long as the fportiin in 
continues m^oving about, and does not fix his 
eves too intently on the Partridges, they will 
permit him to approach fufnciently near to place 
his nets, without feeming to be difturbed. If 
they lie fo ftraggling, that one net will not cover 
them, then two or three muft be fixed in the fame 
manner. The fportfman may then draw his 
net over them; and they will often lie ftill, co- 
vered by the nets, till he comes up and alarms 
them ; when, on attempting to rife, they imme- 
diately find themfelves entangled. 
Another method of catching them is with bird- 
lime; andthisis effcfted by means of wheat-ftraws: 
thefe muft be large, and cut down between knot 
and knot; they muft be well limed with the beft 
and ftrongeft bird-lime; and the fportfman muft 
carry a great number of them along with him. 
Having difcovered a field where a covey of Par- 
tridges are feeding, he muft imitate their call; 
and, if they anfwer, he is then to ftick up the 
Jimed ftraws in rows acrofs two or three lands; 
and, going backwards, call again to them, lead- 
ing them on in a road where the ftraws are placed. 
By this device they will follow each other, like a 
flock of chickens; and being drawn on the limed 
ftraws, will daub and entangle themfelves fo eftec- 
tually, that few of them can efcape. 
However, a ftill more agreeable mode of catch- 
ing Partridges is performed by driving them. In 
order to this, an engine is to be made of canvas 
PAR 
ft'uffed with ftraw, fo as to reprefent a horfet this 
horfe, and thefe nets, being placed flanting in the 
lower part of the field, the fportlman is to take 
the fivour of the wind, and getting above the 
birds, is to drive them downwards. His face is 
to be covered with fomething green or blue; and 
placing the horfe before him, he is to proceed 
llowly and gently; by which means the Partridges 
will be railed on their legs, though not on t!:eif 
wings, and will run before the horfe into the nets. 
If, in their progrefs, they get into a wrong path, 
the horfe is to be moved to face them; and thus 
they will be turned back again, and driven in any 
diredion, according to the pleallire of the fportf- 
man. 
Partridge, Red-Legged; the Tetrao Rufus 
of Linnseus. A very beautiful and delicate bird, 
common in Barbary, and fometimes feen in various 
parts of pAirope, It is fomewhat lefs than the 
common Partridge; the bii! is of a fine fcarlcc 
colour; the eyes are hazel; the top of the head is 
a bright chefnut ; which colour paifmg down the 
hind part of tlie head, where it becomes more 
dufky, comes forv/ard, and forms a ring encircling 
the neck; which ring is beautifully variegated widi 
fmall round white fpots. The fides of the head 
and throat are of a light blueilli aih-colour, which 
gradually changes on the breaft to a faint rofe or 
biOiTom colour; the belly, thighs, and covertb un- 
der the tail, are light brown; the upper fide of 
the neck, back, and wings, are of a darkilli brown 
hue; the prime quills of the wings are tipped with 
a light yellowifh brown colour; and the fcapulars 
are of a delightful blue, bordered with a dark red. 
The fides are covered widi beautiful feathers, 
tranfverfely variegated ; the tips are orange, within 
which there are bars of black, fucceeded by others 
of white; the rump is afli-coloured; the middle 
feathers of the tail are of the fime colour, but 
darker, and tranfverfely barred v/ith duficy; the 
fide feathers of the tail are half Vv'ay of an afli-co- 
lour towards their roots, and the other 'lalf towards 
their tips are of a dirty orange. The legs and 
feet are red; and the claws are brov/n. 
Partridge, Hudson's Bay; the Tetrao La- 
gopus of Linnaeus. This fpecies bears a pretty 
near refemblance to the coniirion kind in the lhape 
of the head; but the bill is blunter and fliorter. 
Over the eyes there are fmall red combs; the legs 
are muffied ; and the general form of the body 
approaches to the pigeon tribe, except that it is 
confiderably larger. 
Thefe birds feed on the buds of the poplar 
when the fnow is on the ground ; run very fwiftly ; 
and keep together in pretty large flocks. In fum- 
mer they are nearly of the colour of an Englifli 
Partridge; but, as winter approaches, thcir'plu- 
mage by degrees turns white, except that the 
larger tail-feathers are tipped with black: thefe 
white feathers, except thofe of the pinions and 
tail, are double, having one growing under the 
other; the undermoft are fmaller than the upper, 
and alio more foft and downy; which keep the 
birds warm during the inclemencies of winter. 
They moult thefe white feathers in the fpring; 
and refume the brown againft the fummer feafon ; 
and thefe are always fingle. 
Partridge, Mountain, of Jamaica; the 
Colum.ba Montana of Linnicus. The length of 
this bird, from the tip of the bill to tlie extremity 
of the tail, is ten inches; and the breadth, when 
the wings are extended, is fixteen. The head ]< 
fmall; 
