Saint Mary's beacon., 1900-01-25

9pNHB NCiS JuSb ouVJ aS blS1 "rIS
still moist. Apparently they had
all haiched at the same time.
At noon he visited the place again,
and found the nest empty; the brood
was a few yards away SO brief il
the period Of helpiessness Of these
creatures After they can run they
have little need OF wings. The
tactics of the mother and their own
wis sSnd protective coforing shield
them most effectively.
As you comesuddenly upon them,
does the mother bird fec and tell
her young to follow !? Not a bit Of
1t. She springs up with spread
wings and tail, and would fain FIJI
the space all about you with her
presence and the sound OF her wings
and voice, She makes herself just
as conspicuous aud noisy as possi-
BILE, and sets livery dry leaf in COM
motion about her.
Under the cover OF this bluster
the Young scatter and hide in
twiukling. Before YOU have got
over your surprise they have van
Ished like spirits, and the parent
bird, lame aud halt and apparently
blind, 1utters along before sou,
tempting you to stoop and pick her
up, till she has lured yoa few
yards away. when she suddenly re
covers herself and is gone.
Seeing bow you have been fooled,
YOU return to the spot and search
for She young; bot | have never
known person to find one under
such circumstances.
once caught one by refusing to
have my attention diverted by the
mother, aud concentrating it on
the Young. One Of them squatted
amid the leaves which it's parents
wiugs had set in motion, and !
picked it up, when it squatted 10
the palm Of my open hand,
After they can nY, the brood
when disturbed scatter in all direc-
tiona The mother gives the sig
nal, when up they all spring like an
explosion. Union may bostreuglb.
but the young partridges know it
Is not safety for them. Later in
the fall. when full grown, they will,
on being flushed. usually all take
the same general direction.
The haFdiness and cunning Of
the partridge will probably eusure
its continuance ia our woods in the
face of all the guns and traps that
are brought against IT, It takes
advantage Of every circumstance.
Think Of it plunging beneath the
snow and passing the night there,
snug aud warm; or OF sitting down
and letting the falling snow bury
IT,
When the hunter or walker comes
upon it at such times, there Is a
sudden explosion in the snow at his
feet as II some kind Of frost cannon
OK mortar had been discharged. and
he secs the brown missile 60 hum
ming through the woods before
him.
When the partridge cannot get
food upon the gronnd, it can pc
buds upon the trees Birch budt
are its fayorite, aud when it wants
change it visits in the early morn
ing The apple.trees iu the orchard.
or the vild apple.trees in the re
mote pasture.
1t is said that the oomplacent
way in which the partridge allows
itself to be showed under some.
times brings it to grief. The storm
changes to rain before morning,
and then as suddenly it becomes
cold and freezes, thus forming q
crust beneath which the luck lees
bird is imprisoned. / have never
seen anything of this kind, and
cannot believe that this shrewd bird
is often caught Mapping in this way.
The partridge has a cunning en-
emy 10 the fox, bnt am convinced
that Reynard does not often have
this choice morsel for his dinner.
The oldest hunters report having
seen but little evidence Of this fact.
The hawk, too, rarely surprises
lit. | remember that once when