12.
V a r . À .
G U E R N S E Y P .
D e s c r i p t io n ,
Place and
Manners*
T e t r a o ru fu s , Lin. Sy/l. i . p . 2 7 6 . 1 2 .— N . C. Petrop. v o l. x v . p . 448. t . 13 .
— Scop. ann. i . N ° 1 7 4 .— Kram. el. p . 3 5 7 . 5.
L a P e rd r ix ro u g e , Brif. orn. i . p . 23#. 10 .— Buf. o if i . p . 4 3 1 . p i . 15.-—
PI. enl. 150. ( th e m a le ) .
P e rd ix ru ffa , R e d - le g g e d P a r t r id g e , Rail Syn. p . 5 7 . A . 5 .— Will. orn. p .
1 6 7 . p i . 2 9 .— Albin. i . p i. 29.
Br . Muf. L e v . Muf.
^JpHIS is fmaller than the laft: length thirteen inches. The
bill, irides, and legs, are like that bird : the forehead is
grey brown: the hind head rufous brown : the chin and throat
white, encircled with black, like the laft bird; added to which is
a band of white over each eye to the hind head ; the fore part of
the neck, and fides of it, are cinereous, with two fpots of black
on each feather ; thofe of the hind head have two oblique black
fpots on each : hind part of the neck rufous brown: the back,
wings, and rump, greyilh brown: the bread: pale alh-Colour:
belly, Tides, thighs, and vent, rufous; the Tides marked with
lunular ftreaks of white, black, and orange: quills grey brown,
with the outer edges yellowifh : the tail compofed of fixteen
feathers ; the four middle ones grey brown j the next on each
fide the fame, but rufous on the outfidej the five outer ones
rufous on both fides: the male only has the blunt knob or lpuf
behind the legs. / f '**-
This.fpecies is found in various parts of Europe, Afta, and
Africa ; in many parts of Germany *, France, and Italy; ifiands
of Madeira -f, Guernfey, and Jerfey; and now and then met with
• Kramer rem a rk s th a t none o f th e forts are fou n d in Aujiria.
t Forft.Foy. i . p . 2 6— H e mentions lik cw ife that th e y a re in th e ifla n d p f
St, Helena.— Fey, v o l. i i . p . 568.
in England, but rarely, and do not breed there. I know of two
o f thefe which have been flipt at different times at large in Kent,
one now in my poffeffion*. The food of this fort is fuppofed to
be fimilar to that of the Common Partridge : Willughby ■ found in
■ the gizzard of one both caterpillars and [nails.
They are fond of mountainous fituations, well covered with
wood. Their flefh is much efteemed. In one thing, however,
the Red Partridges differ, in being found in flocks 5 whereas in
the. Common Partridges, only thofe belonging to the fame covey
are ever known to herd together ; the red ones are alfo obferved
to perch at times on trees, which is never the cafe with our
Partridges. The red ones fometimes encreafe in our menageries,
though not with the fame facility as Pheafants, &c. for they are
ever pining after liberty, and feldom fatten well in that ftatej
nay, many of the young even die before they come to maturity f ,
However this be, Tournefort J talks of their becoming fo tame
in the ifle of Seio, that they may be driven to feek their food in
the fields like fo manyjheep, and that each family can caufe them
to return to their refpeftive mafters with a whiftle; and further
obferves, that they are fo plenty in the ifle of Nanfio as to be
the peft of the inhabitants, who make it a rule, to this day, to
colleft as many eggs as poffible every year, in order to leffen the
breed, which in many feafons have totally eaten up the fruits of
the harveft §.
* O th ers h a v e been k ille d in Hampjhire and Horfetjhire; b u t b e lie v ed to b e
■ only foch as the ben e vo len t g en tlem en o f the n eighb ourho od h a ve tu rn ed o u t o f
th e ir refped tive menageries} in orde r to n a tu ra liz e them*
t H ijl. d es o if, J F oy .. § I d ,