MEMOIR OF PLINY. 
63 
for a few words on the partridge, one of the few 
game birds noticed by Pliny. “ They couer their egs 
with a soft carpet or hilling as it were of fine dust ; 
neither doe they sit where they layed them fii-st, nor 
yet in a place which they suspect to be much fre- 
quented with resort of passengers, hut conuey them 
to some other place. The males are so quarrellsome, 
that oftentimes they are taken by that meanes ; for 
wlien the fouler cometh with his pipe or call (resem- 
bling the female) to allure and traine them forth, out 
goeth the captaine of the whole flocke directly against 
him ; and when he is caught another followeth after, 
and so the rest one after another. In like manner 
the fouler vses to take the females, at what time as 
they seek the male, allured by the chanterell or watch 
which calleth them out. Also if ho chance to ap- 
proch the nest of the brood hen, she will run forth 
and lie about his feet ; she wil counterfeit that she 
is very heauy, anil cannot scarce go, that she is weak 
and enfeeblished ; and either in her running, or short 
(light that she taketh, she will catch a fall and make 
semblance as if she had broken a leg or a wing. 
Then will she run out again another way, and when 
he is ready to take her vp, jmt will she shift away 
and escape. And all this doth shee to amuse the 
fouler after her, vntill she have trained him a con- 
trary way from the couey. Now by the time that 
site is past that feare, and freed of the motherly care 
she had of her yong ones, then will shee get into 
the furrow of some land, lie along on her back, catch 
