8 BULLETIN 162, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Voice. — Mr. Spiker (1929) says that the voice is 



not unmusical, and yet not conspicuous unless listened for, it is especially 

 noticeable on a still spring evening, when there is little or no breeze, and the 

 shadows of dusk follow the disappearance of the sun. There is a single two- 

 syllabled chuckling note which may be represented somewhat by the syllables 

 " kee-uck," the second syllable being rather raspy or throaty as compared to 

 the first, which is high pitched and nasal. Upon being flushed, the bird takes 

 off with the startling whirr of wings characteristic of this family, uttering 

 the while a rapid cackling which diminishes to the above given notes repeated 

 several times and with a gradually increasing interval between them. In 

 the immediate vicinity of Ashton it is not unusual to hear from four to eight 

 of these birds calling at the same time and from as many different directions. 



Walter H. Rich (1909) writes of some birds in captivity: 



In their coop they used a great variety of language ; they clucked like a 

 Grouse ; they chattered like a Blackbird ; they snapped their bills like an Owl ; 

 they " jawed " like a Parrot ; they made a guttural note of alarm like the 

 " br-r-r-r " of a startled Pigeon ; they hissed like a Black Duck guarding her 

 nest, or like a Thomas cat whose dignity is ruffled not quite enough for anger ; 

 and, in addition, they are said to " crow " at evening. 



Game. — Provided that the Hungarian partridge does not seriously 

 interfere with the welfare of our native species, it seems to be a wise 

 and valuable addition to our list of game birds. I have never hunted 

 it, but those who have speak very highly of it. It is a strong, swift 

 flier, smart and sagacious, well fitted to test the skill of the best 

 sportsmen. It is a fine bird for the table. Unfortunately it will 

 survive and flourish only in certain favorable sections, mainly the 

 northwestern grainfields and grassy plains. There it can probably 

 survive much more intensive hunting than either the prairie chicken 

 or the sharp-tailed grouse. 



One of the men who helped to introduce the partridge in Wash- 

 ington wrote to Mr. Rathbun as follows : 



From the standpoint of a game bird I believe them to be the gamest of 

 them all. The law of the covey is very strong, and when they flush all of them 

 go at the same time. There seems to be less than a fraction of a second be- 

 tween the time the first one and the last one makes his get-away. They will 

 always be able to take care of themselves, since they become very wild when 

 much shooting is done. When one is winged or slightly wounded so that he 

 can not fly he will run a mile sometimes before a hunter's dog overtakes him. 

 During the winter months they come right into the towns and eat at the back 

 doors of the residences. They will help themselves to strawstacks, haystacks, 

 and anything edible. At night they burrow in the snow, sometimes making 

 little tunnels 4 or 5 feet long under 2 feet of snow. I have hunted upland game 

 birds in the West covering a period of 37 years, but I believe the Hungarian 

 partridge, considered from every standpoint as a game bird, is the premier 

 one of the Pacific coast. 



Winter. — Mr. Spiker (1929) says: 



The species is gregarious during the winter, beginning to flock in October 

 and continuing till the last of February. During this season they frequent the 



