324 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I50 



To the north this species ranges through the mountains of Central 

 America to southern Mexico. 



These quail are found in small bands on forested slopes where 

 locally they may be fairly common, as to the present time they have 

 not been hunted extensively. They are secretive like the lowland 

 species, and hide at any alarm, but on the whole appear less wary. 

 When approached one or two may fly a few feet, but most run 

 rapidly away with head erect and crests raised. Their feet make 

 a rapid pattering sound on dry leaves that I have heard sometimes 

 when the birds were hidden from me in the undergrowth. Often 

 they hide and remain so quiet that I have had a band secreted within 

 30 meters for a period of 15 minutes, until chance brought me nearer, 

 forcing them to run. 



Their presence in the forest often is indicated by their scratchings, 

 which are roughly circular, 30 centimeters or more across, with 

 the leaves cleared so that the ground is bare. Where the forest floor 

 is level such depressions may be spread over an area several meters 

 across. 



The calls of this species will be recognized at once by those 

 familiar with the perro mulatto of the lowlands in the eastern part 

 of the Republic, as the two are similar in excited, rapid tone. The 

 present species, however, has more variation in its notes. The usual 

 series of phrases may be rendered as wheet-o-wet-to-wheo-zvho, 

 repeated steadily with the terminal syllables sometimes changed to 

 to-whao. Variation in tone, and occasional confusion in utterance, 

 that I have noted has indicated that the call was a duet similar to 

 that characteristic of the lowland species. They call mainly at 

 sunrise, and for a short space afterward, and it is then that their 

 numbers become known. At times, I have heard half a dozen groups 

 on as many separate wooded slopes. 



When alarmed they give low trilling notes as they become excited 

 and run away, and when a flock has been scattered they utter 

 mournful whistles, similar to calls of some of the trogons, to unite 

 the little band again. 



Schonwetter (Handb. Ool, pt. 4, 1961, p. 224; pt. 5, 1961, p. 267) 

 indicates that the eggs are creamy white, sometimes spotted with 

 brown. He gives the measurements of 6 as 39.2-40.5x28.5-29.7 mm. 



Recently hatched chicks were taken near El Volcan March 10 and 

 25, 1965. 



