of air to ruffle the surface of the water, I bed put off from ny boat-hous o on th 3 Tain Sands in the
double punt, and was intending to proceed down the firth. As no fowl were seen or heard, I determined
to ascertain if the slades in the marshes in the "Pendom" were frozen over 01 sullicicully open to
harbour Snipe. With a view to discover the state of nflairs, c ur craft was M orked as near the shore as
possible, and the puntman despatched to make an examination of the neare t pools of fresh water. As
foul were occasionally found about these moist parts of the ground, he took one of dthiee tloenn--bboorree ccrriipnpóllee--
stoppers, nnd bad only been gone a few minutes when a shot was heard, and immediately after a rush
of wings breaking the stillness of the morning air caught my ear, and a Hook of birds 1 failed at the
first glance to identify swept round, and were then seen to alight on the edge of a Mad-hank, VMM
small scattered patches of rank grass struggled for existence in the dry unfruitful soil. The pack, which
I soon came to the conclusion were a covey of Partridges wore drawn up together in a dense mass,
so dropping the liarrel of the big gun over them, I pulled the lanyard, and two only wen- observed to
flutter olf. On searching round the spot to which the charge had been directed, six and a half brace
el Partridges wore discovered, all dead with the exception of a brace, which attempted to make off,
but were soon secured with little exertion, owing to the scanty cover, as John, the puntman, speedily
reiurned with a Mallard he had knocked down and assisted in their capture. A week or so later the
same season 1 was gunning further up the firth, near Inversion, and just as the day was closing in we
happened to be sculling towards some diving fowl in the pool near the railway bridge. Suddenly, while
we had cased fur a few moments as the ducks were out of sight below the surface, and the direction
in which they would appear was uncertain. I detected a covey of ten Partridges flying at a tremendous
]iare across the water, from the south towards the opposite shore. It was evident that they would pass
within range; and as the gun was ready for use at the moment, I had merely to lire, holding ahouf
six or eight foot ahead, to allow for the sixty or seventy yards' distance at which I judged the birds to
he; the dim light, however, rendered it somewhat difficult to form a correct estimation. Three brace
dropped to the shot, and the seventh bird pitched headlong against a slab of ri>ek by the shore just
below the steep wooded bank, over which the remainder of the covey held their course.
The breeding-habits of litis species are -o well known, anil have been described so often, flint any
remarks I could make concerning them would he superfluous, and a short reference to a couple of nests
discovered in the south of Scotland will be sufficient. In the summer of 1S01 1 detected a Partridge
sitting on fourteen eggs in a hole scratched in the thatch of a wheat-stack, nhout five-and-twenty feet
from the ground, at Perrygate, a large farm near North Berwick, in Post Lothian, whore I studied
agriculture for a couple of years. To the beet of my belief, the old bird brought off her brood safely,
though we failed to ascertain the manner in which they reached the ground. Within a quarter of a mile
of the stack-yard, atal only a fortnight later in the same season, another nest was found by one of my
do«s, in a thick plantation of youug trees and low stunted bushes, containing a number of eggs, seven or
eight being those of the Partridge and the remainder Pheasant's. To which species the care of this nest
was finally committed there was no chance of ascertaining, as I was obliged to leave the district for the
south a few days later, and remained away for several weeks.
RED-LEGGED PA ItTRIDGE
PERDIZ RUFA.
Tins brightly coloured bird is not bold in snob general estimation as our English Partridge, the disposilion
to make more use of its logs than wings having stirred up the aniniosily of sportsmen, and its inferiority
in flavour rendering it far less desirable for the table in the opinion of I pioures. In 6ome parts Ilod-legged
Partridges have been killed down in every possible manner, and nn nttcmpt has been made to exterminate
them entirely; still they hold their own, nnd when their habits arc better understood anil driving is
resorled to by those wha have watched their movements nnd lenniod the course they are accustomed to
take, than is no reason why they should not find more favour in the eyes of those who would have
brought about their destruction. For my own part I can see no reason why this species is so little
called for, ns I have rather a preference for them myself. During the present month (September 1SS(!) I
have passed my time in Brighton, and discovered that the majority of the Common Partridges at the
poulterers' shops were by no means lit for killing, being exceedingly small—in fact hardly half-grown.
The Bed-legged Partridges were for the most part fine plump heavy birds, and I had my pick of the
lot. Strange to say, our Common Partridges were seven shillings the brace, and the ltcd-loggcd birds
only four shillings the brace, and nearly double the weight of those expensive morsels. This species being
more hardy hail boon better able to stand the severity of the weather during the breeding-season than
our Common Partridge.
I have only met with this species in Sussex, Norfolk, and Cambridge; in parts of the two first
counties these birds appear parfieularly abundant, and several coveys were met with iu the fens abuut
liotl ishatu, (Jui. and Swall'ham, when I shot in Ihosc distiiets during the terms spent nt the University
al>out IIHIillll 111 illy years ago. Many residents and naturalists who have made observations on the
habils and movements of the Red-legged Partridges on the Norfolk coast are of opinion that they
arrive on their shures early in spring, during March and April, front the Continent, after having made
the passage across the North Sea. There is no contradicting the fact that these birds are frequently
seen on the beach bewildered and exhausted: many arc also captured weary and worn out by prolonged
flights and possibly by want of food. While hard pressed they often alight in towns and villages near
the coast, whore they arc speedily bunted down, appearing to have lost all sense of self-preservation.
Having often nt this season watched the Hod-logged Partridges that are met with in considerable numbers
flying round one or two of the larger broads in the oast of Norfolk, nnd occasionally falling into the
water, I ascertained that the birds remaining inland are also affected by a desire to make a move in
spring. One morning early in March W-b I picked up several floating dead on the surface of the
water, or attempting to conceal themselves in the beds of reeds, on the swampy islets on lloigham Sounds,
and a few thai were crossing and rcorossing from one side of the pool to the other were shot. 1
believe i! to In- an utter impossibility for a Red-legged or any other Partridge to cress the North Sea