a species of bird. See TETRAO, ORNITHOLOGY Index.

The partridge is so valuable at the table, that a great many ways of taking it have been invented by sportsmen, all of which succeed from the natural folly and timidity of the animal.

The places partridges delight in most are corn fields, especially whilst the corn grows, for under that cover they shelter and breed: neither are those places unfrequented by them when the corn is cut down, by reason of the grain they find there, especially in wheat stubble, the height of which they delight in, being to them as a covert or shelter. When the wheat stubble is much trodden by men or beasts, they then betake themselves to the barley stubble, provided it be fresh and untrodden; and they will, in the furrows, amongst the clots, branches, and long grass, hide both themselves and coves, which are sometimes 20 in number, nay 30, in a covey.

When the winter season is arrived, and the stubble fields are ploughed up, or over-tilled with cattle, partridges resort into the upland meadows, and lodge in the dead grass, or fog, under hedges, amongst mole hills, or under the roots of trees; sometimes they resort Partridge. to coppices and underwoods, especially if any corn fields are adjacent, or where there is grown broom, brakes, fern, &c.

In the harvest time, when every field is full of men and cattle, in the daytime they are found in the fallow fields which are next adjoining to the corn fields, where they lie lurking till evening or morning, and then they feed among the sheaves of corn.

When their haunts are known, according to the situation of the country and season of the year, the next care must be to find them out in their haunts, which is done several ways. Some do it by the eye only; and this art can never be taught, but learned by frequent experience, the colour of the birds being so like that of the earth at a distance, that no eye but a very conversant one could distinguish them. When they are once seen, the business is to keep the eye upon them, and then to keep in continual motion. They are a very lazy bird, and by this means will let a person almost tread upon them; though if the person stands still to eye them, they will rise immediately though they be at a considerable distance.

Another method of discovering them is, by going to their haunts very early in the morning, or at the close of the evening, which is called the jacking time. The noise of the cock partridge is to be attended to at this time, and is very loud and earnest. The hen will soon come up to the cock after her making the noise, which she does by way of answering; and when they are got together, their chattering will discover them. Thus they may always be found at these times. But there is yet a better method of finding this bird, which is by the call. The business, in order to have success in this way, is carefully to learn the notes of the partridge, and be able to imitate all the several sounds. When perfect in this, the person is to go to the haunts morning and evening, and placing himself in some place where he can see the birds without being seen by them, he is to listen to their calling; and when they are heard, he is to answer in the same notes, doubling again as they do; by continuing this, they may be brought so near, that the person lying down on his back may count their whole number. Having in this manner found where the birds are, the next care is to catch them.

They are so foolish, that it is extremely easy to take them in nets. In order to this, there needs no more than the going out, provided with two or three nets, with meshes somewhat smaller than those of the pheasant-nets, and walking round about the covey, a net is to be fixed so as to draw over them, on pulling a line at a distance. All this may be easily done; for so long as the sportsman continues moving about, and does not fix his eye too intensely upon them, they will let him come near enough to fix the net without moving. If they lie so straggling, that one net will not cover them, then two or three must be fixed in the same manner. The sportsman may then draw the nets over them, and they will often lie still with the nets upon them till he comes up to frighten them; then they will rise, and be entangled in the net.

A second method of taking them is with bird lime: this is done by means of wheat straws. These must be large, and cut off between knot and knot; they must be well limed with the best and strongest birdlime, and the sportsman must carry a great number out with him. Having found a field where there are partridges, he is to call; and if they answer, he is then to stick up the limed straws in rows across two or three lands, and going backward, call again to them, leading them on in the road where the straws are: they will follow one another like a flock of chickens, and come out to the call; and will in their way run upon the straws, and liming themselves they will daub one another by crowding together, so that very few of them will be able to escape.

But there is yet a pleasanter way of taking them than this, that is, by driving of them. In order to this, an engine is to be made of canvas stuffed with straw, to represent a horse; this horse and nets are to be taken to the haunts of the partridges, and the nets being placed slanting or sloping in the lower part of the field, the sportsman is to take the wind in his back and get above them, driving them downwards; his face is to be covered with something green or blue, and placing the horse before him, he is to go towards them slowly and gently; and by this means they will be raised on their legs, but not on their wings, and will run before the horse into the nets. If in the way they go into a wrong path, the horse is to be moved to face them; and they will be thus driven back again, and driven every way the sportsman pleases.

The partridges of Abyssinia, we are told, are very large, being as big as capons.

In Jeremiah xvii. 11, we have the following curious passage: "As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool;" which is explained by Mr Poole as follows: It is no wonder if we cannot be certain as to the sense of these words, so far as they concern natural history, when we are not certain what bird it is to which this doth relate. We translate it partridge: others will have it to be a cuckoo; but certain it is, that it is the same word which we translate partridge, (1 Sam. xxvi. 20,) and cuckoos are not to be much hunted after. How the partridge is said to sit on eggs and hatch them not, is yet a greater question. It may be occasioned in many ways, viz. either sitting upon wind eggs; or being killed before the eggs are hatched; or having its eggs destroyed by the male partridge, or by some dog or other vermin; or, its nest being found, having her eggs taken from her, that it is hard to determine which the prophet means. Of all others, I least approve of that which Jerome makes the sense, though the thing be true (if we may believe Cassiodorus and several natural historians, Aldrovandus, &c.), that partridges have such a love and desire to hatch young ones, that having lost their own eggs, they will steal the eggs of other partridges, and hatch them; which being hatched, the young ones knowing the cry of their proper dams, hearing them call, leave the partridge that hatched them (which is one thing quoted by Aldrovandus, to show the sagacity of that bird); but if this were the sense, the words would be, 'as the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them, but enjoyeth them not;' whereas they are, 'hatcheth them not:' that is, having lost them, either by some man that hath taken them from her, or by some vermin or wild beast."

Poole's Annot. in Loc. The words in the original are, אַיִל יָדֵע, which the Septuagint translate ἐπανειποῦσιν, &c. "The partridge cried; it gathered together what it had not produced;" and some translate the Hebrew, "The partridge lays many eggs, but does not hatch them all." Le Clerc, upon the authority of Bocchart, understands the Hebrew word כְּרֶנֶה here to signify a woodcock. Le Clerc's translation is as follows: Rupicola ovum colligit, sed non partit; facit sibi divitias, sed sine jure, meditis suis diebus eas relinquat, atque ad extremum fluita eft.