434 PLUMED QUAIL LOPIIORTYX GAMBELI. 



But great as are the natural disadvantages of the surroundings, the 

 bird's attractions are still greater, and partly so from this very fact. 

 But Arizona is a large place, and one need not always endure desert in 

 his Quail-shooting. There is a much brighter side to the picture 5 we 

 Lave just seen only the darkest possible. Perhaps no Territory rivals 

 Arizona in variety of climate, physical geography, and natural produc- 

 tions. Between rugged mountains that lift snow capped peaks among 

 the clouds lie hidden pleasant green valleys, whose fresh verdure con- 

 trasts with surrounding desolation. Vast primaival forests stretch for 

 leagues, or are only interrupted by oak and cedar openings. Bright 

 fringes of cottonwoods and willows mark the devious course of streams, 

 where walnut and cherry are scattered, and grape-vines cling to them, 

 and roses bloom beneath leafy boughs. Here is plenty at least, if not 

 peace. Nothing mars the pleasures of the chase, but the chances of 

 being chased. Were it not for Indians, we should have here the acme of 

 Quail-shooting. 



Gambel's Quail may be looked for in every kind of cover. Where 

 they abound it is almost impossible to luiss them, and coveys may 

 often be seen on exposed sand-heaps, along open roads, or in the cleared 

 ])atclies around settlers' cabins. If they have any aversion, it is for 

 thick high pine-woods, without any undergrowth ; there they only 

 casually stray. They are particularly fond of the low, tangled brush 

 along creeks, the dense groves of young willows that grow in similar 

 places, and the close set chaparral of hillocks or mountain ravines. 

 I have often found them, also, among huge granitic boulders and 

 masses of lava, where there was little or no vegetation, except some 

 straggling weeds 5 and have flushed them from the dryer knolls in the 

 midst of a reedy swamp. Along the Gila and Colorado they live in 

 such brakes as I described in speaking of Abert's Finch ; and they 

 frequent the grov^es of mezquite and mimosa, that form so conspicuous 

 a feature of the scenery in those places. These scrubby trees form 

 dense interlacing copses, only to be penetrated with the utmost dif- 

 ficulty, but beneath their spreading scrawny branches are open inter- 

 secting ways, along which the Quail roams at will, enjoying the slight 

 shade. In the most sterile regions they are apt to come together in 

 numbers about the few water-holes or moist spots that may be found, 

 and remain in the vicinity, so that they become almost as good indi- 

 cation of the presence of water as the Doves themselves. A note- 

 worthy fact in their history, is their ability to bear, without apparent 

 inconvenience, great extremes of temperature. They are seemingly at 

 ease among the burning sands of the desert, where, for months, the 

 thermouieter daily marks a hundred, and may reach a hundred and 

 forty, " in the best shade that could be procured," as Colonel McCall 

 says; and they are equally at home the year round among the mount- 

 ains, where snow lies on the ground in winter. 



The Quail's food is made up of various substances. Like the rest of 

 its tribe, it is chiefly granivorons, eating seeds of every description ; 

 but fruits and insects form a large portion of its fare. It devours 

 insects of such sorts as it can capture, and particularly those kinds 

 that infest plants. In the fall it gathers cherries and grapes, and other 

 "fruits" properly speaking, as well as the various berries not usually so 

 called. It visits patches of i)rickly-pear {Opuntia) to feed upon the soft 

 juicy "tunas," that are eaten by everything in Arizona, from men and 

 bears, to beetles. In the spring it shows fondness for the buds of differ- 

 ent phints, particuhirly mezquite and willow ; birds shot at this time 

 are Irequently found with sticky bits of the buds about their bills. But 



