BOB- WHITES AND QUAILS 



Yar\'. ( )nc has bi-i'ii n-iuk-rt-d kuk-kiik-hii m 

 kiick-kuck-ke; but coo-cod-coo with the accent 

 strongly on the second syllable, which is ])itche(l 

 hii^her than the others, represents very well the 

 call most commonly heard. Hunters translate 

 its calls into various phrases, which it seems to 

 imitate, such as " Cut it out," " Cut me too," 

 " Oh go way," etc. ; but these imaginative ren- 

 ditions hardly hint at the expressive powers of 

 the Quail's language, which may be heard at its 

 best when the young and old are in flocks to- 

 gether. 



In s]iring. while the female sits on the nest, the 

 male is attentive and watchful. His cry as he 

 occupies some elevated perch nearby on stump, 

 rock, or fence shows that he is on guard. The 

 little chicks exhibit their inherited liveliness soon 

 after they leave the e^<^. and have been seen to 

 run awav and hide from sudden danger with 

 ])ieces of their natal shell still sticking to their 

 liacks. They are little striped, downy, bobby 

 things with trifling top-knots. As they grow older 

 the families gather tuuil in early fall they as- 

 semble in " packs," usually not far from some 

 s])ring or other water, where they can drink and 

 bathe. It is believed that they post sentinels 

 after the fashion of Crows, especially when the 

 flock is feeding or dusting near a road or passing 

 over rather open ground where cover is insuffi- 

 cient or scattered. One bird then takes an 

 elevated position and remains on watch until re- 

 lieved by another. The sentinel is frequently 

 changed. In the flocking season a Quail perched 

 in full view is a sign that the flock is near at 

 hand. The little comjjany is easily startled ; a 

 sudden motion, a falling leaf, the snapping of a 

 twig or the rustling caused by a dog is enough 

 to set them scurrying. When suddenly alarmed 

 bv the rush of man or beast coming rudelv upon 



them they are likely to rise and tly in all direc- 

 tions, but ]jerhaps more often they will skulk and 

 run, fast and far. When the flock is alarmed, 

 its members give the d.uiger sign.-d, a loud 

 whis|)ering sound such as may be produced by 

 blowing the breath out suddenly between the 

 teeth. Then begins a rajjid extended scoot 

 through the chai)])aral or underbrush. 



This Quail has decreased nuich in mnnbers 

 since the latter part of the last century. Where 

 " packs " of thousands once lived, now only 

 hundreds can be found. It has been destroyed 

 in part for the market and in i)art by the 

 farmers, for although it is a feeder on insect 



CALIFORNIA QUAIL 



pests it eats grain and it long ago learned the 

 virtues of grape juice and therefore earned the 

 hostility of certain grape growers and paid dearly 

 for its luxurious tastes. 



Edw.\rd Howe Forbush. 



GAMBEL'S QUAIL 

 Lophortyx gambeli Gambcl 



\. <>, V. Xumher 295 



Other Names. — Arizona Quail : riainhd's X'allcv 

 Quail. 



General Description. — Length. lo inches. Color 

 above, bluish-ash; below, bluish-ash and white. Crest 

 of soft recurved feathers. 



Color. — Adult Male : Upper parts, plain bluish- 

 gray with neck feathers with dark shaft lines: crest, 

 black ; crown, reddish-brown : forehead, black streaked 

 with white ; a black strife in front of chestnut crov.<n 



f'atcli : /'c/oii' this a streak of 'i'hite: a black stripe 

 from back of eye running backward and circling 

 across upper breast; chin and throat, black with a white 

 stripe between it and the eye stripe ; inner secondaries 

 edged with white; forcbrcast. clear ash like color of 

 back; rest of under parts, buffy whitish; center of 

 abdomen zfith a larijc pure black patch: sides rich 

 chestnut with broad sharp white stripes ; under tail- 

 coverts, white streaked with dusky; bill, black; iris, 



