SAN QUINTIN QUAIL 71 



After examining a series of 16 skins, at a later date, Doctor Grin- 

 nell (1908) writes: 



When compared with a series of the mainland vallicola the island birds are 

 distinguished by larger size, especially of the feet, broadness of terminal 

 barring on the posterior lower surface, and broadness of shaft-streaks on lower 

 tail coverts and flanks. An additional character which shows up in the larger 

 series is the averaging more intense and extensive chestnut patch on the hind 

 chest, in the male, of course. This does not seem to be due to the different 

 " make " of the skins. An examination of individual variation in the two 

 series shows that any one character alone is not diagnostic of every single 

 individual. For instance, a small-footed island bird can be duplicated in that 

 respect by an extra large-footed mainland bird. But at the same time the 

 barring and streaking of the former renders it easily recognizable. Then in the 

 matter of barring on the lower surface, a mainland female appears as heavily 

 marked as the average island female. But at the same time the former has a 

 decidedly shorter wing and weaker foot. It is therefore evident that there is a 

 mergence of separate characters thru individual variation ; and according to 

 the criterion now apparently most popular, the island form would be given a 

 trinomial appellation. The binomial, however, appears to me most useful, as it 

 signifies complete isolation because of the intervention of a barrier. 



LOPHORTYX CALIFORNICA PLUMBEA Grinnell 

 SAN QUINTIN QUAIL 



HABITS 



Under the name Lophortyx californica plumbea Dr. Joseph 

 Grinnell (1926) has separated the quail found in certain parts of 

 northern Lower California from the subspecies found on either side 

 of it. He describes the new form as " in general characters similar 

 to Lophortyx californica vallicola and L. c. ac7irustera, but tone of 

 coloration clearer, less buffy or brownish; gray or lead-color on 

 dorsum, foreparts and sides, and remiges, more slaty than in either." 

 He says further: 



It should go without saying that in quail fresh fall plumages should be relied 

 upon chiefly, if not altogether, in seeking color values. When this is done, the 

 quail of the " San Quintin district " show themselves to differ in mass effect 

 appreciably from Valley Quail from anywhere north of the Mexican line. San 

 Diego County birds, even, and those from Riverside and Inyo counties, well 

 east of the desert divides, all are markedly browner dorsally, the remiges 

 browner, the chest less clearly ashy gray, and the " ground " tone of the hinder 

 flanks and crissum more brightly tan. This holds for both sexes. The creamy 

 area on the lower chest of male plumbea, while not so pale as in achrustera, 

 is not so deep-toned as in average vallicola. In females the grayness about the 

 head and on the chest in plumbea is almost constantly diagnostic ; and in both 

 sexes, the plumbeous tone of the remiges is as a rule strikingly different from 

 the brown tone in vallicola. In the dried specimens, the feet and legs of 

 plumbea average blacker than in vallicola. 



