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The White Partridge. 
HIS Bird is of a middle Size, between our common Partridge and a Pheafant^ and fliaped 
JL much like a Partridge^ except that its Tail is a little longer. 
The Bill is Black ; the NoIIrils covered with fmall white Feathers, turning forward ; the un¬ 
der Chop of the Bill has alfo white Feathers at its Root; the Eyes are encompafled with 
a narrow Space of white Feathers; above each Eye are loofe Eye-brows, faftened only at their 
Bottoms, rifing on each Side higher than the Crown of the Head, of an Inch Length, and half 
an Inch Breadth, compofed of a Subftance like Plufli, or the Skin round the Eyes of a Cock 
Pheafant^ of a fine Red Colour: The Head and Neck are of a Reddifh Brown, barred a-crofs 
with fine Lines of Black, a few white Feathers being intermixed in the fore Part of the Neck: 
The Middle of the Back is White, as is the whole Wing, except the Shafts of the greater 
Quills, which are Black: The variegated Feathers at the Bottom of the Neck do not break off 
very fuddenly, but are fprinkled on the Beginning of the Back, and between the Back and 
AVings on each Side there is a fprinkling of them alfo on the Breaft, and fome few in the co¬ 
vert Feathers on the upper Side of the Tail: The two middle Feathers of the Tail are variegated 
tranfverdy with Brown and Black in the fame Manner as thofe on the Neck, Cfr. The two 
next on each Side White *, the remaining outermoft Tail Feathers of a dirty Brown or Black Co¬ 
lour, tipp’d with White : The Belly, Sides, Infides of the Wings, covert Feathers under the 
1 ail. Legs and Feet, to the Ends of the Toes, are wholly covered with white Feathers, thofe 
on the Legs and Feet refembling Hair more than Feathers: The Claws are of a Brown Colour, 
and pretty long, but fomething flatter than what is common in Birds. 
The fluffed Skin of this Bird is preferved at Sir Hans Sloane^s, from which I made my Draught 
and Defcription. Mr. light^ who is now returned from HudJonI Bay to England^ on feeing this 
Bird, faid it was the Cock Bird, as it appears in the Spring, when it is changing from White 
to Brown their Feathers being in Winter of a perfedt fnowy Whitenefs, except the outer Fea¬ 
thers of the Tail, which are Black tipp’d with White; they begin to change in the Spring, 
and become Brown on their upper Sides, the Belly remaining moflly White. 
Mr. Light brought one of thefe Birds from Hudfon's Bay, and gave it me, which was perfect¬ 
ly White; he fhot it there in the Winter, and affures me, on his own Knowledge, that thefe 
Birds towards Evening repofe themfelves under the Snow, (which in that Country is loofe, 
like fine dry Sand) where they continue all Night, and in the Morning fly directly up to fhake 
off the Snow; he hath often feen them rife, and found their Dung in their fnowy Lodgings: 
He fays they are obkrved to feed only in the Morning and Evening in Winter, and fun them- 
fclves in the Middle of the Day. They are Natives of Hudfon's Bay, where they breed, and 
continue all the Year ; but are common both to America and Europe. I have received the very 
fame Birds from Norzvay and all our Treatiles on Birds deferibe them very exactly, and place 
them in the Mountains of Switzerland, Italy, Spain, &c. It is not properly a Partridge, but 
of that Kind we call Heath Garrte.^ and Aldrovand, Lagopus avis. You will find him deferibed 
in his Winter’s Drefs in hVilloughhy’s, Omxiholo^y, Pag. 176. 
The Bird I took my Draught from, above deferibed, had the Red on the Eye-brows much 
wider than I ever faw it in any among the great Number I have feen, it being hardly percep¬ 
tible in fome when the Skins are dry; which makes me think this was an old Cock in the Sea- 
fon of his full Vigour, for w'e obferve that the Combs of our common Poultry are much larger 
and redder in the Spring than in the Winter Time. As I find that fome of the Particulars which 
I have difeovered relating to this Bird are entirely new, I hope the Curious will not think my 
Labour and their Cofl wholly thrown away, notwithflanding it hath been long ago de- 
feribed, and is well known to the Curious. It hath efcaped Mr. Albinh Notice. 
Lhc 
