50 BULLETIN 162, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



a difficult bird to hunt in the dense mountain thickets it frequents. 

 Edwyn Sandys (1904) says: 



This comparatively large and exceedingly handsome species is not highly 

 esteemed by sportsmen in general, owing to its true value not being well un- 

 derstood. In certain portions of California, and notably in the Willamette 

 Valley, Oregon, when abundant it affords capital sport, while upon the table 

 it is a delicacy not to be forgotten. As a rule, one, or at most two, broods are 

 found on a favorite ground, the birds seldom, if ever, flocking like some of 

 their relatives. 0. pictus prefers moist districts and a generous rainfall. It 

 is a runner, and in comparison with Bob-white, by no means so satisfactory a 

 bird for dogs to work on. After the first flush the covey is apt to scatter 

 widely and the beating up of single birds is a slow and frequently a wearying 

 task. On the wing, its size and moderate speed render it a rather easy mark. 



Grinnell, Bryant, and Storer (1918) say: 



Its flesh is excellent, being declared juicier and more finely flavored than 

 that of the Valley Quail. But its comparatively small numbers, even under 

 normal conditions, the difficulty attendant upon reaching its habitat, and the 

 fact that it does not lie well to dogs, deter many sportsmen from hunting the 

 species. Except when the birds may be out of their natural habitat, as during 

 their fall migration, it takes stiff, hard climbing and a deal of patience to 

 get a limit of ten. In former years Mountain Quail were commonly sold on 

 the markets of San Francisco. In some instances they were trapped along 

 the western flanks of the Sierras and sent to the markets alive. Mr. A. E. 

 Skelton, of El Portal, has reported to us that while shooting for the market 

 near Raymond, Madera County, many years ago he averaged about a dozen 

 and a half Mountain Quail a day. The birds then brought from $2.50 to 

 $4.00 a dozen. At the present time it is illegal to sell quail of any sort, 

 except for propagation and then under permit only. 



Enemies. — Predatory animals and birds help to account for the 

 high rate of mortality among the young birds, so that, in spite of the 

 large broods hatched, only a few ever reach maturity. Wildcats 

 and gray foxes seem to be their greatest enemies. These animals are 

 also sufficiently agile to capture the old birds as well, for bunches 

 of their feathers are often found. 



Fall. — From the nature of its summer haunts in the mountains, 

 which must be abandoned when the winter snow comes, the plumed 

 quail has developed an interesting migratory habit. Barlow and 

 Price (1901) say: 



By the first of September the quail are restless and are beginning their 

 peculiar vertical migration to the west slope of the mountains. Sometimes 

 four to six adults with their young will form a covey of ten to thirty individuals 

 and pursue their way, almost wholly on foot along the ridges to a more con- 

 genial winter climate. By October 1 the quail have almost abandoned the ele- 

 vations above 5,000 feet. In the fall the woodland is full of the disconsolate 

 peeps and whistling call notes of the young who have strayed from their 

 coveys. 



Lyman Belding (1903) adds: 



The fall migration of the mountain quail (Oreortyx pictus plumiferus) 

 appears to be influenced but little by the food supply or temperature in its 



