412 
GAME-BIRDS. 
reduced to a few chestnut spots, or absent. It is true, indeed, that in old birds the 
differences in this patch are generally characteristic of the male and female, but in 
the majority of immature females the horse-shoe is well developed, and nearly or 
quite as large as in the adult male. Immature birds of both sexes may be recog¬ 
nised by having the first flight-feather pointed at the extremity, and the legs yellowish 
brown; while in adults this feather is rounded at the tip, and the legs are slate- 
colour. In the south-eastern counties of England young females rarely have a 
well-marked horse-shoe, and in some instances all trace of chestnut is absent. On 
the other hand, in most examples from other parts, this patch is greatly developed. 
eighteen tail-feathers, and the under-parts of the body devoid of black crossbars; 
while to the second group belong Hodgson’s partridge (P. hodgsoni ) from South 
Tibet, and the smaller more northern form (P. sijti/uico) from Ivansu, both of which 
have only sixteen tail-feathers, and the under-parts barred with black, dhe common 
partridge ranges over Europe and Western and Central Asia, as far, at least, as the 
Barabinska Steppes and the Altai. Until recently the chestnut horse-shoe mark 
on the breast was considered as distinctive of the male, the female having this 
A COVEY OF GREY PARTRIDGES. 
