THE BIRD BOOK 



Mearns Partridge 



296. Mearns Quail. 



Cyrtonyx montezumce mearnsi. 



Range. — Mexico, north to southern Arizona 

 and New Mexico, and to western Texas. 



A remarkable species about 9 inches long; 

 often called "Fool Quail" because of its eccen- 

 tric and clownish markings, streaks and spots 

 of black, white, buff, gray and chestnut. It is 

 met with in small flocks on the mountains and 

 less frequently in the valleys. It frequents 

 scrubby wooded places rather than open hill 

 sides and is very easy to approach and kill; 

 this confidence or stupidity together with its 

 clownish appearance are the reasons for its 

 commonly used local name. Their nests are 

 hollows in the ground, lined with grasses and 

 concealed by overhanging tufts of grass. The 

 eggs, which are pure white, are not distinguish- 

 able with certainty from those of the Boh- 

 white, but average longer. Size 1.25 x .95. 



297. Dusky Grouse. D,endragapus obscurus obscurus. 



Range. — Rocky Mountain region from central Montana south to New Mexico. 



With the exception of the Sage Grouse, this species is the largest of the fam- 

 ily, being about 20 inches in length. The general tone of its plumage below is 

 gray; above, blackish gray and the tail blackish with a broad terminal band of 

 light gray. They frequent the wooded and especially the coniferous districts, 

 where they build their nests under fallen trees or at the bases of standing ones. 

 They lay from six to ten eggs of a buffy color, sparsely spotted and blotched 

 with brownish. Size 2.00 x 1.40. 



297a. Sooty Grouse. Dendragapus obscurus fuliginosus. 



Range. — Mountain ranges along the a a^ 



Pacific coast from California to Brit- 

 ish Columbia. 



Like the last, this somewhat darker 

 sub-species is met with in timbered 

 regions, where its habits are about the 

 same as those of the Ruffled Grouse, 

 except, of course, that they are not 

 nearly as shy as the Grouse in New 

 England. Their eggs are laid in hol- 

 lows beside stumps or under logs. 

 The eggs are buff colored, spotted with 

 reddish brown. Size 2.00 x 1.40. Rfch buff 



178 



