PHASIANIDAE—PARTRIDGES.
219
more were killed from this covey within three days, but from that time until
1799, Mr. Daniel did not again meet with this bird, but then he shot two and
a half brace at Sudbourn, Suffolk. Referring to this record, Mr. E. A, Fitch, of
Maldon, writes (50. ii. 40) :—
" It is only quite recently that the French or Red-legged Partridge has become
common in the Essex Marshes and islands, and I know several sportsmen still
living who well remember the first specimen they ever shot, and have heard them
relate how carefully they smoothed it down and wrapped it up in their handker-
chief, pocketing what they considered a rare and beautiful prize. The French
Partridge is not a lover of the low-lying marsh lands, and here, at Maldon, it is
much more common on the hills and broken ground than on the marshes."
With reference to this species Mr. Thomas Kemble, J.P., of Runwell Hall,
says, in a letter to Mr. Fitch :—
" I can give you another interesting tale with regard to this bird. The late
Sir Henry Meux, in company with the late Lord Alfred Paget, had a very good
day's shooting at it on Lord Rendlesham's property in Norfolk ; he was so
pleased with the French Partridge for driving purposes (which system of shooting
was little known in those days) that he determined to introduce the Red-legged
Partridge into his estate at Theobalds, in Herts. At that time, I think it was
1855, I had several coveys on my property in Essex (I well remember, when
a young man, the first that was ever killed, or even seen, on my property).
I agreed to give him all the French eggs my keeper could find, upon his sending
me English eggs in return. The contents of the first box I placed in several
French nests, but the hens invariably forsook them ; another box came, the eggs
were placed upon a tray, and my better half painted them to resemble the French
egg. The birds took to them, and hatched the greater part of them, but they
proved bad mothers. The English hen broods them much more than the French.
Nevertheless I had several small coveys, and my friends were rather surprised
to see a French bird rise, accompanied by three or four English."
Graves says (7. iii.) that in 1821 it was found in "those parts of Essex
bordering on Suffolk." Around Sudbury, according to W. D. King (20), it
was "not uncommon " in 1838. Mr. Clarke records (24) specimens obtained