Hungarian or Gray Partridge.
(Perdix-cinerea)
From a Drawing by Walter H. Rich, Portland, Maine.
The Journal
of the
Maine Ornithological Society
Published by the Society on the first of March, June, September and December
Vol. XI JUNE, 1909 No. 2 The "Hungarian Partridge"—the Gray Partridge.
(Perdix cinerea.)
By Walter H. Rich, Portland.
For the purpose of advancing the interests of our supply of game and its protection and propagation, a number of local sportsmen have formed a society under the title of "The Cumberland County Fish and Game Protective Association." As first fruits of their endeavors, and as earnest of their intentions, they have imported and liberated in five or six colonies in the neighborhood of Portland, fifty pairs of "Hungarian Partridge" (Perdix cinerea), generally considered the prime game bird of Europe.
The society has secured the passage of an act establishing a close time of four years, with the proper penalties for non-observance thereof.
In its numerous species and varieties the race is scattered all through temperate Europe, prospering best in its milder regions and shunning extremes of either heat or cold. Its range extends from southern Scandinavia and England on the north and west, Naples on the south, eastward through Persia, India and Tibet, to China. As is natural over so wide an extent of territory, there is much variation in size and coloring, but it is upon the great wheat plain of Hungary, where they thrive best and are exceedingly numerous, that the birds of this species attain their greatest size.
The relationship of the Old World Partridges with our "Quails," as we usually term them, seems to be very close. The American group, as most of our members probably know, is separated from its over-sea relatives chiefly because its members have a more or less distinct serration on the cutting edge of the mandible near the tip. This is scarcely apparent in some species. The bill in our American group (Odontophorinæ) seems more arched, giving it a shorter and heavier appearance. In the Hungarian Partridge the bill is noticeably flatter and longer than in our "Quails," and the side view of the head gives a very pigeon-like appearance, save, of course, the lack of the tumid membrane at the base of the bill as shown in the pigeon.
Of our American Partridges the species most suggesting this bird is the Plumed Quail of California, though Perdix lacks the plumes, is rather more brownish in his tones, and is of generally lighter coloring. Our new citizen is plump and stocky, powerful in figure, short of wing with a short tail, carried low in Quail fashion. I weighed the largest of those which I had and he tipped the scales at eleven ounces. He was in fair order, not fat, and in condition might have weighed thirteen or fourteen ounces. The meat is dark, which rather surprised me, for I had taken it for granted that it would be white.