PARTRIDGE. 
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Florida ; and was seen in the neighborhood of the Great Osage village, 
in the interior of Louisiana. They are numerous in Kentucky and 
Ohio ; Mr. Pennant remarks that they have been lately introduced into 
the island of Jamaica, where they appear to thrive greatly, breeding 
in that warm climate twice in the year. Captain Henderson mentions 
them as being plenty near the Balize, at the Bay of Honduras. They 
rarely frequent the forest, and are most numerous in the vicinity of 
well cultivated plantations, where grain is in plenty. They, however, 
occasionally seek shelter in the woods, perching on the branches, or 
secreting among the brush wood ; but are found most usually in open 
fields, or along fences sheltered by thickets of briars. Where they are 
not too much persecuted by the sportsmen, they become almost half 
domesticated ; approach the barn, particularly in winter, and sometimes 
in that severe season mix with the poultry, to glean up a subsistence. 
They remain with us the whole year, and often suffer extremely by long 
hard winters, and deep snows. At such times the arts of man combine 
with the inclemency of the season for their destruction. To the ravages 
of the gun are added others of a more insidious kind. Traps are placed 
on almost every plantation, in such places as they are known to 
frequent. These are formed of lath, or thinly split sticks, somewhat in , 
the shape of an obtuse cone, laced together with cord, having a small 
hole at top, with a sliding lid, to take out the game by. This is sup- 
ported by the common figure 4 trigger, and grain is scattered below, 
and leading to the place. By this contrivance ten or fifteen have some- 
times been taken at a time. These are sometimes brought alive to 
market, and occasionally bought up by sportsmen, who, if the season 
be very severe, sometimes preserve and feed them till spring, when they 
are humanely turned out to their native fields again, to be put to death, 
at some future time, secundem artem. Between the months of August 
and March, great numbers of these birds are brought to the market of 
Philadelphia, where they are sold from twelve to .eighteen cents apiece. 
The Quail begins to build early in May. The nest is made on the 
ground, usually at the bottom of a thick tuft of grass that shelters and 
conceals it. The materials are leaves and fine dry grass, in consider- 
able quantity. It is well covered above, and an opening left on one 
side for entrance. The female lays from fifteen to twenty-four eggs, 
of a pure white without any spots. The time of incubation has been 
stated to me by various persons at four weeks, when the eggs were 
placed under the domestic hen. The young leave the nest as soon as 
they are freed from the shell, and are conducted about in search of food 
by the female ; are guided by her voice, which at that time resembles 
the twittering of young chickens, and sheltered by her wings, in the 
same manner as those of the domestic fowl ; but with all that secrecy 
and precaution for their safety, which their helplessness and greater 
