232 Birds of San Pedro Martir. [zoe 



Oreortyx pidus confinis. San Pedro Partridge. Since 

 describing this race, I have secured a series of skins from San 

 Diego Count}', California, that are practically identical with mj' 

 skins from I,ower California, San Pedro and Valladares, thus 

 making it necessar}' to either ignore the Lower California bird, 

 or to include Southern California in its habitat. I am unable to 

 secure specimens from the tj'pe localit}- at present, and so cannot 

 determine the status of the race beyond a doubt. 



A single skin from the collection of the California Academy 

 of Sciences, from Monterey, is slightly darker above and shows a 

 conspicuous rust}' edging to several of the secondaries, forming 

 a patch on the closed wing not seen in any of my southern birds. 



During the past season partridges were found in abundance 

 all over San Pedro Martir and fresh eggs were taken from the 

 time of our arrival May 5 to the last daj^ May 28. 



In the Gaudaloupe Valley, forty miles south of Ensenada, 

 several Oreortyx were seen in the thick chaparral of Ceanothus, 

 almost down to the coast. 



Callipepla californica vallicola. Vali^Ey Partridge. In 

 October, 1887, this species was found to be quite common on 

 San Pedro as high as La Grulla 8200 feet. It was again met with 

 in April and May i88q and the past season, but in comparativeh^ 

 small numbers. Birds taken in May (5th to 25th) contained in 

 several cases eggs ready to be deposited. 



Capt. C. E. Bendire, in "Life Histories of North American 

 Bird?," has recorded my observations regarding the non-nesting 

 of this species during very dry seasons; this habit was again 

 noticed the jmst season and under very favorable conditions. 



Upon our return trip from the base of the mountain to San 

 Diego the present species was abundant, but it was only in the 

 well-watered valleys that they were paired or that young were 

 seen. The past winter and spring had been unusually drj' and 

 in man}' valleys water was entirely absent and vegetation generally 

 very scant and dry. In such localities quail were all in flocks and 

 those that were shot showed little if any enlargement of the 

 ovaries. Small young were seen at San Telmo, a well-watered 

 valley, on May 30. 



