52 MEMOIRS OF THE NUTTAI.L ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB 



Island. "Although the species is perfectly distinct and peculiar to Cuba, 

 curiously enough, many Cubans believe that all the Quail were introduced." 

 This belief, which he records, gave even Gundlach some concern, for he 

 wrote, — I translate freely, — "Regarding this species the opinions of 

 naturalists and natives do not agree. There exists the tradition that 

 over a hundred years ago Colonel don Jose Cramen, Chief of Engineers 

 in Havana, caused some Quail of both sexes to be brought and released in 

 the suburbs of Guadelupe near Havana. They extended first westward 

 to the Vuelta Abajo region, then toward the Vuelta Arriba, eastward. 

 They did not arrive in the extreme Oriental Province until the Dean of the 

 Cathedral in Santiago got some from Havana and released them there, 

 now some seventy years ago. This was told me by my friend, don Jose 

 de la Luz Caballero." 



The original Cuban Quail probably was very restricted in distribution 

 in early Colonial times, and was no doubt known only to the very few 

 settlers who were familiar with the sterile savanna lands. Elsewhere the 

 Island was wooded and offered no attraction to Quail until the process 

 of deforestation was far advanced. Quail were introduced, not once but 

 doubtless many times and to many different places, by planters who had 

 no idea that there were Quail indigenous to Cuba itself. Gundlach late 

 in life suspected that something of this sort might have taken place. There 

 is no record of introduction to the Isle of Pines, and there only pure-bred 

 birds occur. I have also seen typical Cuban Quail in numbers only about 

 Guane, Alendoza and the remote savannas of Pinar del Rio. Elsewhere 

 the birds usually are intermediate between the Floridian and Cuban types, 

 and many are almost typical of the mainland form, since Florida has 

 doubtless been the source of many purchased shipments for release. 



The call is quite similar to the Northern Quail's, and their habits like- 

 wise. The great fields of cane afford a splendid range, and today Quail 

 swarm over wide areas. Shooting is not allowed about cane plantations 

 because the dry trash burns like tinder, so that Quail are safe in the 

 canavcrales (cane plantations) during the winter open season, and out of 

 season during the rains but few are killed and these only in the more remote 

 districts. 



70. Rallus elegans ramsdeni Riley. 

 Cuban King Rail; Gallinuela. 



The native King Rail is really a rare bird, appearing even rarer still 

 because it is so retiring and shy. One never knows where they may be 



