PERDICID.E — THE PARTRIDGES — LOPHORTYX. 551 



young just hatched, ]\Iay 25th, so that the usual time for laymg seems to he 

 throughout Aj^ril and ^lay, perhaps extending two weeks earlier and later 

 in the extremes of its range. The number of eggs in a nest I have found to 

 vary from ele\'en to twenty, and several females probably lay in one nest at 

 times, as in the case with nearly all gallinaceous birds. Their color is 

 white or yellowish, with numerous blotches and spots of various sizes and 

 shades of brown, scattered mostly towards the larger end. The shade and 

 distribution of spots varies in such a manner as to lead to the opinion that 

 they are laid liy different l)irds. As an evidence of their habit of laying at 

 times in strange nests, I have found two of their eggs in a nest containing 

 four otliers of a Pvpilo, on the summit of the Santa Cruz Mountains, in which 

 case the nest was deserted by l)otli species. The size of tlie egg is about 

 1.20 or 1.24 X 0.90 or 0.9G. 



A writer in Hutcliing.s's California Magazine for December, 1857, men- 

 tions that a female kept in San Francisco laid during one .stimmer the aston- 

 isliing number of seventy-nine eggs, being of course depri\-ed of them and 

 not allowed to sit, while supplied with abundance of food. I'l'obaljly in 

 many instances tlie wild birds raise a late brood after losing their first 

 nest, and perhaps at times two broods annually. In the instance just men- 

 tioned the male bird showed at times a very tyrannical disposition, driving 

 the female for refuge into corners for several days together. I have not, 

 however, observed any pugnacity among them in a wild state, or much even 

 when confined in cages, unlike many of their foreign allies which have be- 

 come celeltrated for their figliting propensities. 



The period of incubation is probaT)ly about four weeks, as with its nearest 

 allies, but I have had no o])portunity to ^■erify this. They are very easily 

 tamed, either when taken wild or raised from the eggs. In San Francisco 

 they are constantly to be found exposed for sale alive, and many escape 

 from the cages, scattering about the city, flying from roof to roof, and occa- 

 sionally descending into quiet gardens, especially if there are caged birds to 

 call them. A few rods from the suburbs, flocks of quails are frequent 

 among the dense imdergrowtli which covers the sand-hills. 



They are carried East in almost every steamer, but no account of their 

 sitccessful naturalization in our more severe Atlantic climate has yet been 

 published. They are, however, said to be very numerous in France, where 

 tliey have found a suitalde climate, and are carefully protected. Experiments 

 made in England have not been so successful. 



In the spring the males sit im a bush and ratter at short intervals a single 

 loud, almost screaming note, wliich .seems to be a call peculiar to that 

 season. At other times they have a triple call-note rather soft and pleasant, 

 capable of being interpreted in ^-arions words, according to tlie fancy of the 

 listener. Perliaps the nearest approach to it is in the syllables tucl'-l-e-t/u, 



