THE VALLEY PARTRIDGE. 29 



"As soon as the young are hatched, they immediately leave the nest, 

 keeping under cover as much as possible. Sliould tlie brood be disturbed, the 

 old birds will i-uu and flutter along the ground to draw the attention of the dog, 

 or whatever may have frightened them, to themselves and away from the 

 young. In about ten days these can fly a short distance. The Valley Par- 

 tridge feeds on insects and the young and tender leaves of clover and green 

 pease, later, on grain and various small seeds; in the fall they eat wild grapes 

 and are also veiy partial to the seeds of the auiarauth, also those of Mentzelia 

 IcevicaiiUs. Here only one brood is raised in a season, and incubation, as nearly 

 as I can ascei'tain, lasts about twenty-eight days." 



The nests and eggs of the Valley Partridge are similar in every respect to 

 those of the California Partridge, and the number of eggs usually laid is about 

 the same. In southern California they often nest under small juniper bushes 

 and in prickly-pear or cactus patches. Usually but one brood is raised, but 

 under favorable circumstances two are not uncommon. Mr. Anthony's state- 

 ment that the Valley Partridge does not nest in exceptionally diy seasons in 

 portions of its range has been fully verified by me tlu'ough other observers, 

 and appears to be a well-established fact. 



None of the eggs of this Partridge are figured, as they are indistinguish- 

 able from those of the preceding. A number of the eggs from Cape St. Lucas 

 of this subspecies average a trifle smaller than California and Oregon speci- 

 mens, reducing the avei'age measurement somewhat. 



Seventy-six specimens in the U. S. National Museum collection average 31 

 by 24 millimetres. Tlie largest egg of the series measuring 34 by 25, the 

 smallest 28 by 23 millimetres. 



13. Callipepla gambeli (Nuttall). 



Lophoriyx gambeli "Nuttall" Gambel, Proceedings Academy Natural Sciences, 



Phila., 1843, 260. 

 Callipepla gambeli Gould, Mouograph Odontophorinse, 1850. PI. xvii. 



(B 475, C 392, R 483, C 576, U 295.) 



Geographical range. Northwestern Mexico and contiguous portions of United 

 States from western Texas to southern CaUfornia, north to southern Nevada and south- 

 ern Utah. 



The home of this graceful and interesting species includes that portion of 

 southern California commonly known as the "Great American Desert."- Here 

 Grambel's Partridge reaches the most western point of its range, near San 

 Gorgonio Pass, in San Bernardino County, California, where it overlajis that of 

 the Valley Partridge and hybrids are found ; ' thence it ranges eastward through 

 Ai-izona and the greater part of New Mexico into western Texas. To the north 



' Auk, Vol. II, 1885, p. 247. 



