Partridge, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230
The medieval bestiary records that the partridge is a cunning and unclean bird, as the males will sometimes try to mate with other males. They will steal another's eggs but the young will know their mothers voice and will leave the mother that stole them and return to their true mother. They create defences around their nest with twigs and thorns to stop animals attacking it, and will cover the eggs with dust to hide them. They will also approach the nest from different directions so as not to give away where it is and the mother will move her chicks from place to place to hide them from the males who will sometimes attack them if the females pay them to much attention. If a man came near the nest the mother would pretend to be wounded and draw them away from the nest, also the young would fall onto their backs and hold dirt in their claws to hide themselves (Barber 2008).
Transcription
Translation
atque inmunda. Nam masculus in masculum
insurgit. et obliviscitur sexum libido preceps.
deo autem fraudulenta;
ut altera alterius ova
The partridge has a name from the voice. It is a deceitful and dirty bird. For the male rises upon the male, and forgets the sex, which is presumptuous and fraudulent to God, so that the other may rob the other's eggs.
Nam dum pulli audiunt vocem proprie genitricis;
naturali quodam instinctu hanc que eos fovit
relinquunt. et ad(added) eam que eos genuit revertuntur.
Dimicant propter connubii iura. et qui vincitur
sustinet venerem; vice femine. Ipsas libido sic agi-
tat. ut se ventus a masculis afflaverit; fiant preg-
nantes odore. Cuius exemplum imitatus est diabolus
qui generationem eterni conditoris rapere conten-
dit. et si quos insipientes et sensu proprii vigoris caren-
tes aliquo modo poterit carere(dots underneath) congregare; fovet
illos illecebris corporalibus. Sed ubi vox christi audita
fuerit ab eis; sumentes sibi alas spirituales; provide
evolant. et se christo commendant.
Nidos faciunt perdices munitione sollerti. Spi-
neis enim fruticibus nidos vestiunt ut animalia
infesta ab eis arceantur. Ovis; stragulum pulvis
est. atque clanculo revertuntur in indicium loci. Con-
versatio frequens fatigat. Plerumque femine transe-
unt pullos; ut mares fallant qui eos sepissime
affligunt; inpatientius adulantes. Si quis homi-
num ubi incubat mater appropinquat; egressa sese
venienti sponte offert. et similata debilitate
pedum vel alarum; quasi statim capi possit;
gressus fingit trardiores. Hoc mendatio illicit et
illudit hominis ut longius a nidis avocentur.
Et tunc demum; longe avolat. Pulli quos perdicis
cum se visos sentiunt; resupinati glebulas pedi-
bus attollunt. quarum optentu tam callide protegun-
tur; ut lateant deprehensi. Cum adhuc pervisi sunt.
a mribus dantur eis in escam; formice. Unde cum
a nidis se removere possunt; ad solem iuxta tumu-
tum formicarum matres illos exponunt. Perdix omnibus nota
avis est. dulcissimas et amantissimas et nutritivas;
Nevertheless, fraud has no fruit. For while the chicks hear the voice of their mother properly by a certain natural instinct they leave the one who fostered them, and return to the one who gave birth to them. Let them fight for the rights of marriage, and he who is vanquished bears the love; and women, on the other hand, are driven by lust in such a way that, having been fanned by the wind from men, they become pregnant with fragrance. Whose example was imitated by the devil, who strives to snatch away the generation of the eternal founder, and if by any means he can gather together those who are foolish and lack the sense of proper vigor; he encourages them with bodily allurements. But when the voice of Christ was heard by them; taking upon themselves spiritual wings; providentially fly away, and commend themselves to Christ.
Partridges build their nests with skillful fortifications. For they clothe their nests with thorn-bushes in order to ward off dangerous animals from them. Sheep; there is a blanket of dust, and they return with a clang to the place of the sign. Frequent conversation is tiring. Usually the female passes the chicks; that they may deceive the men who afflict them the most; flattering impatiently. If any man approaches where the mother is brooding; having gone out, she offers herself to the comer of her own accord, and pretends to be weak in her feet or wings; as if it could be taken at once; he imagines his steps to be slower. This falsehood is illegal and makes fun of man so that they are driven away from the nests. And then finally; flies far away The chickens that you kill feel when you see them; recumbent, they raise the lumps with their feet, by the desire of which they are so cleverly protected; that they may be caught in hiding. When they are still seen, they are given to them as food by the giants; ant Hence when they can remove themselves from the nests; the mothers expose them to the sun next to the mound of ants. The partridge is known to all birds, the sweetest and most loving and nutritious;
gatim sedent multe simul. quanto proprinquius possunt
capita simul vertentes toto anno. nisi a die pu-
rificationis. quo incipiunt ad amorem concitari; et
nidificare. Tunc enim bine et bine sedent; pares
cum paribus. Ad lumen lanterne et ad sonitum
tintinnabuli; nocte infatuantur. ut simul
multe subito iniectu retis capi possint. Nomi-
igitur perdicis; diabolus significatur. Unde ieremias.
Perdix fovet; quos non peperit. Hec avis et si inmun-
da sit in se in aliquo; tamen propter sui prudentiam
in lege non nominatur inter inmundas. et ideo car-
nes eius amantissimo palato commeduntur. hec
avis similiter prudentes significat; sicut in sa-
lomone dicitur libro. iio. ubi de perdice diximus.
having a fleshy body, beautiful in appearance; and mild They sit together much together, as closely as they can, turning their heads together throughout the year, except from the day of purification, when they begin to be excited to love; and to nest For then they sit two and two; equals with equals. To the light of the lantern and to the sound of the bell; they become enamored at night, so that many may be caught at the same time by a sudden injection of the net. The partridge is killed; the devil is signified. Hence Jeremiah. The partridge warms; whom he did not give birth to. Even if this bird is unclean in itself in some way; yet because of his prudence in the law he is not named among the unclean, and therefore his flesh is eaten by the most loving palate, this signifies similarly prudent birds. as it is said in the book of Solomon, where we spoke of the partridge.