342 BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 
that recaUs the partridges exposed for sale in game-shops 
in spring, and said to come ' from Russia.' These hiU-part- 
ridge weigh-cocks, 13 to 15 ozs. ; hens, 12 to 13i ozs. 
I well remember some fifteen to twenty years ago finding such 
birds frequenting the httle cultivated patches near the 
shepherds' houses, at the heads of our vaUeys. Recently 
I have seen none in these locahties, and wiitmg of central 
Nithsdale, the part of the county with which I am most 
intimate, I am sure I am right in saying that of late years 
our stock of Partridges has diminished. Hungarian importa- 
tions have been tried, but without benefit ; indeed, one of 
my neighbours considers that they brought with them some 
novel disease, and dates the decrease of the species from their 
introduction! A succession of unfavourable sprmgs has 
been unfortunate, and there is a growing tendency to lay out 
less and less land in crop, so that the natural food-supply of 
the Partridge has decreased. Pheasants being more and 
more encouraged, the ground is unable to carry both 
species and our Partridges are in danger of being starved out. 
H A Macpherson states that on the continent the Part- 
ridge " is probably a more decided migrant, or semi-migrant, 
than in our country, since it is exposed to greater extremes 
of heat and cold, whilst its movements are hampered only by 
such imperfect barriers as mountain ranges or great rivers 
present. Even in Britain the partridge is a quasi-migrant, 
since coveys frequently perform short jo"™^^^-*^'. .J, 
example, across the Solway Firth. In this case the birds 
are apparently shifting from the slopes of the Dumfriesshire 
hiUs to the well-cultivated lands of the Cumbrian plain . . J 
The two sexes in maturity are readily distinguished by the 
feathers forming the ^ving-coverts and scapulars. In the 
female these are barred horizontally with buff whereas in the 
male these feathers are not barred, the buff coloration 
extending only longitudinally in a narrow stnpe on either 
side of the shaft. During their first season the young may 
* Bird-Life of the Borders, 1907, p. 194. 
t The Partridge, 1893, p. 8. 
