The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-16
CLEVER IN ELUDlNG MAN.
California Partridges Are Shrewd in
Protecting Their Young.

Young birds have been taught a great
many things. but there are some feats
which they know without instruction.
In large open air cage in the New
York Geological park is a covey of six
California partridges, about one third
grown. and their little bantam step
mother. She dOzes at one end of the
range or walks slowly about. pecking
among the blades of grass. The small
sextet keep close together, and if we
watch them for several minutes we will
see some of the things which must have
come to them as their feathers and lit
tie bills cameron the egg. Unlike
the hen, they are suspicious of your eV-
cry movement, but in a short time they
forget that you are not a HfelesS tree
trunk or other harmless object near
their cage. They select a sunny spot,
always on the dead leaves, never in the
green grass. and here. after much cud-
ding and pushing, but never peep
they squat, usually in an irregular cir
Gle with heads outward. Unless there
are dead leaves OF some similarly col
Ored surface in their cage they never
settle down cOntentedly for a sun bath
We watch them nestle close to the
ground and close their eyes; then some
movement on the part of the hen may
attract our attention for a moment and
on looking back again we are amazed
to find the little birds have disappear
ed 1t is a fact that IL we lose sight
of them even for a short time the eye at
first refuses to distinguish them from
the dried leaves. Their little backs are
dull. dark brown in color, broken by
Irregular fine white lines. very much
like the mold lines on fallen leaves,
while the lighter sides of the head, in
stead of being at all conspicuous, are
exactly like the lighter shades OF some
old leaves the imitation being more
nerfect from the fact of the colorinG
being thus broken up. Even the little
brush of appraised feathers in their
heads-hints of the beautiful recurVed
helmets of the old birds-appear like
small, frayed-out pieces OF grass u
If we look toward them with half
closed eyes not trace of the pros Is
visible All appear sound asleep ana the
little heads sag drOWsily to one slde, put
at the slightest noise each black bead OF
an eve is wide open and SIX scuffylhs
pairs of legs or rounded, whirring wings
carry their owners to the father SIDE OF
the cage as if an unfelt wind had SUD
denly caught up some of the dead leaves
before us and tossed them along the
ground. It is all beautiful DIT OF
magic. which never becomes less Won
delful no matter how many times we
witness if.
When we see how wonderfully these
little cartridges are protected from can
per bv their color we wonder now the
mother partridge keeps nidoen . uul rrl,5,
her three weeks vigil on her nest Inc
male bird is indescribably beautlIui
dotted and slashed. stained and shaded
with different tones of color, some OF ms
feathers looking almost IKE the scaIes
of fishes. His head is decorated by two
+ ipterlacing white lines and the tall he'll
met of beautiful recuTved feathers,
which, added to his black throat. maks
him a very conspicuous bird. We find
that his little wife. while. to a certain
degree, sharing many of his beauties
has them in such subdued tones that
they do not make her at all noticeable
among surroundings of dried grass and
weeds.
The young birds are still further pro
vided with means of escape from their
many enemies, for almost from the mo-
ment they are Matched their little wing
+ feathers shoot out. and when only day
old they can fiutter full yard into the
air. In fact have known one of these
hardy chicks to fall out of nesting box
4 eighteen inches from the floor and some
how get back alone on the day of hatch
/ ing Imagine a common chicken at
/ tempting this!-Chicago Chronicle.