m PHASIANIE&.
generally in an exhausted condition, and although they have
even been seen by an intelligent witness making for the land,
at a distance of from four to five miles out at sea, yet: there
is in this nothing inconsistent with the probability of their
having flown out to sea from our eastern shores, where they
are already plentiful, and, having 'misjudged the distance,'
returning in an exhausted state. This frequently happens
with -Common Partridges shot at in the vicinity of. the sea.
Neither is there any country to the north or east of-England
whence they could have migrated, the species being unknown
in Scandinavia and in Northern Germany. The very fact
that, as stated by Sir Thomas Browne more than two centuries
ago, this Partridge was then unknown in the eastern
counties, and 'continued to be-so- until its introduction, is
one of the strongest arguments against * its vernal immigration
at the present time.
' In Belgium the Red-legged Partridge is almost unknown,
nor'1 is it -abundant in the northern districts of Prance, hut
in Savoy it- is tolerably numerous, and spreads for a short
distance into Switzerland, where it meets witlwaw larger and
stronger congener, G. saxatilis* Throughout Central- and
southern France it is- generally distributed, and it- is theionly
Specie® of Red-leg* indigenous,- to the Iberian Peninsula.
Strong evidence of its non-migratory nature is- afforded by
’ the fact that although abundant on the'hills of Spain within
sight of the opposite coast of North Africa, it has never been
known td? ctfdss the* Straits ; nor doe»* it-even" visit the neighbouring
Reck -of Gibraltar, which, is occupied* >by an intro-1
duced species, the* Barbary Partridge^C. petmsci. In-Italy it
is local, for in the Apennines its extension eastwards is again
barred* by G-. saXaiilis, and -it-becOmes rare in the southern
provinces; and in Sicily, again, is-the.*Om%'indigenous
-Partridge In the Balearic Islands.; in Elba; and
in. Corsica, the Red-legged Partridge is the onl‘y>representa-
tive of the^groUp*; But- in Sardinia -its place is-occupied by
G. '-petrosa', the only Partridge found in Northern 'Africa,
-*«^hybrid.>!be{weeiL these two species was .des'crife'd 1
Danphjne, ii,ip. 8>S7)5under th^nta ie o t P.erdix'idhafiebJ,
RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE. 119
and which, iniits .turn, has never been proved to migrate
even to the mainland of-Europe. At'the present day the
Red-legged Partridge occurs in the Azores and in Madeira^
but there can hardly he a doubt that jb was introduced there
by the. Portuguese settlers .in the* same way s,s'(y.:chukar of
India was carried to- St. Helena.
Red-legged Partridges scrape together a slight nest of
dried grass and leaves Upon, the* ground, among growing
corn, grass, or elover; jand two or three dnstances -are
recorded in which nests with eggs were found in, the thatch;
or upon the top mf low stacks. The eggs: are from fifteen
to eighteen in number, of a reddish-yellow white, spotted
and speckled with reddish-brown, measuring 1*6 by 1*25
in. ProfessoriNewton remarks that this species begins to
lay.its eggs earlier than the Common Partridge,,hut it
has a habit:* of dropping |ts first eggs about in a desultory
manner, so; that it is mo great-gainer by making an early
beginning. The-youngylike those of our Common Partridge,
soon quit the nest after they are released from the egg-shells
They feed also, like other Partridges,' on seeds, grain, and insects
;.they frequent turnip-fields, but appear to prefer heaths,
commons, and: other waste'land, interspersed with hushes; •
As an object of pursuit they are not esteemed by sport»«
men, for being stronger on the wing than ' the* Common»
Partridge, they are. usually much-moireL wild, and accordingly
more difficult ito -get shots- at* within -^distance.
They .foot away 'before,-*a pointer like an old cock . Phea-.
sant; and unless the sportsman can drive them intis furze,
or some other such thick bottom,: through- which they
not thread-* their way, hut little, chance • -of ^success - attends
bim. For these reasons they have been- inr many*places
destroyed as vermin, but under the modern system of “"driving”
sportsmen. are enabled to give a better account-of
them, and the strong abhorrence: entertained for them has;
somewhat abated. When wounded; tliep will rdn to ground
in a rabbit-burrow, or any-other' hole they cam "find* Occasionally
they.perch in trees/and-have- been seen on the upper
bar of a gate,* dat the top of a lift of paling. -