We refer our young readers to the finely arranged
specimens in the British Museum, (open to the public,) where they may
discover "Louis's partridge."] from her nest, and the eggs were soon
transferred to Louis's straw hat, while a stone flung by the steady
hand of Hector stunned the parent bird. The boys laughed exultingly as
they displayed their prizes to the astonished Catharine, who, in spite of
hunger, could not help regretting the death of the mother bird. Girls and
women rarely sympathise with men and boys in their field sports, and Hector
laughed at his sister's doleful looks as he handed over the bird to her.
"It was a lucky chance," said he, "and the stone was well aimed, but it is
not the first partridge that I have killed in this way. They are so stupid
you may even run them down at times; I hope to get another before the day
is over. Well, there is no fear of starving to-day, at all events," he
added, as he inspected the contents of his cousin's hat; "twelve nice fresh
eggs, a bird, and plenty of fruit."
"But how shall we cook the bird and the eggs? We have no means of getting a
fire made," said Catharine.
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