BRITISH BIRDS. 
306 
wants the crefcent on the bread, and its colours in 
general are not fo didin£t and bright. 
Partridges are chiefly found in temperate cli- 
mates, the extremes of heat and cold being equally 
unfavourable to them : They are no where in 
greater plenty than in this ifland, where, in their 
feafon, they contribute to our mod elegant enter- 
tainments. It is much to be lamented, however, 
that the means taken to prefer ve this valuable bird 
fliould, in a variety of indances, prove its dedruc- 
tion ; the proper guardians of the young ones and 
eggs, tied down by ungenerous redri&ions, are led 
to confider them as a growing evil, and not only 
connive at their dedrudtion, but too frequently af- 
fid in it. Partridges pair early in the fpring ; the 
female lays from fourteen to eighteen or twenty 
eggs, making her ned of dry leaves and grafs upon 
the ground : The young birds learn to run as foon 
as hatched, frequently encumbered with part of the 
Ihell kicking to them. It is no uncommon thing 
to introduce Partridge eggs under the common 
Hen, who hatches and rears them as her own : In 
this cafe the young birds require to be fed with 
ants’ eggs, which is their favourite food, and with- 
out which it is almod impoffible to bring them up; 
they likewife eat infe&s, and, when full grown, feed 
on all kinds of grain and young plants. The af- 
fection of the Partridge for her young is peculiarly 
ftrong and lively ; fhe is greatly affided in the care 
of rearing them by her mate ; they lead them out 
