BOB- WHITES AND QUAILS 



II 



forehead black with small sUcaks ol white changing 

 to brown crest ; a black throat patch ; a black streak 

 on cheeks and one of the same color over eye con- 

 tinuous with another from gape along lower side of 

 head, meeting that of the throat and enclosing a broad 

 oval white space; remainder of head and broad space 

 below throat patch, white ; below the white area is 

 another narrower streak of black extending from nape 

 across front of chest ; wi»i(/j, marltcd wilh round black 

 spots, the primaries, browner and spotted with white or 

 bufT ; sides of neck, sides and flanks, ashy with large 

 round white spots; middle line of breast and abdomen, 

 rich dark chestnut ; under tail-coverts, velvet-black ; 

 bill, blackish; feet, bluish-gray; iris, deep brown. 



AuLLT Female: Mead without stripes, mostly a warm 

 grayish-cinnamon ; upper parts variegated and finely 

 barred with black, tawny, and dull lavender, the 

 feathers with broad white shaft streaks; general color 

 beneath, pale lavender-brown; chin whitish; neck, 

 bluish-ash, freckled and bordered with black; breast 

 and sides with blackish shaft streaks. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest: On ground; rather well 

 made for a bird of this genus, entrance sometimes con- 

 cealed and partially arched over. Egos: 8 to 12, white. 



Distribution. — Arid regions from central Arizona 

 and central New Me.xico east to central Texas, and 

 south to the mountains of northern Coahuila, and 

 Chihuahua, and eastern Sonora. 



Mearns's Quail is an interesting bird. It is 

 about the size of the Bob-white, but it is unmis- 

 takable on account of its ])ecuhar Miarkin,ti;s. The 

 head is black and brnwn. in.ukcd with white. 

 The U]i])cr parts are brown barred with black, 

 the sides of the Ijreast and flanks are ahnost 

 black and dotted with white, which causes the 

 bird to look something like a dark little Guinea 

 1 fen. They are nowhere common, and, possibly, 

 now are extinct in the United States, excepting 

 the birds purchased and owned by breeders. Their 

 flesh is excellent and no doubt they could be made 

 an attractive addition to the game bag. 



It is a confiding bird and like some (jf its rela- 

 tives has earned the name of "Fool Hen" by 

 making no attempt to protect itself and by allow- 

 ing itself to be killed with a stick or stone. 



The habits and food of this Quail vary con- 

 siderably with the locality. It is easily tamed 

 and is quite at home in cultivated fields. Away 

 from civilization ( according to Dr. Judd ) it pre- 

 fers districts covered with o])en forest, with 

 alternate areas of grass and scattered bushy 

 undergrowths, or hillsides covered with grass and 

 bushes. Bendire records finding this species in 

 rocky ravines. 



^^li^Sic 





Photograph by R. VV. Shuleldt 



MEARNS'S OUAIL 

 Mounted specimen in United States National Museum 



