1912 BIRDS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 4.3 



saw a bird in Garvanza, Los Angeles City, April 23, 1900, and on another occa- 

 sion saw one in a small park in the central part of the city. Eggs are usually 

 deposited in May, but J. Grinnell has taken young, apparently but a day or two 

 old, on Pine Flats in the San Gabriel Range as late as July 15. H. J. Lelande 

 found a nest in the Linda Vista Hills, west of Pasadena, May 7, 1897. It con- 

 tained ten eggs of the "mountain quail" and four eggs of the valley quail, all 

 of which were fresh (Grinnell. Pub. 2. Pasadena Acad Sci.. 1898, 19). W. M. 

 Pierce took ten fresh eggs in San Antonio Canon. May 11. 1907. 



Although the A. O. U. Check-List assigns the bird occurring from the San 

 Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains, south, to the form Oreovtyx picta con- 

 finis Anthony, J. Grinnell and H. S. Swarth inform me that, after studying 

 over the case, they are convinced that all southern California birds are referable 

 to O. p. plumifera and that 0. p. conHnis has no standing as a bird of California. 



145. (294a) Lophortyx californica vallicola (Ridgway). Valley Quail. 

 Common resident of the lowland and foothill country, except the marsh 



lands, but not so generally abundant as formerly. This is the principal game 

 bird of southern California and its numbers have been considerably reduced by 

 hunters. If not hunted too persistently it takes kindly to civilization, nesting 

 commonly in grain fields and near farm houses and even breeding in parks and 

 gardens in the cities. It is common on Catalina Island and is occasionally seen 

 on San Clemente. Is said to have been introduced on the latter island. J. 

 Grinnell says that six specimens taken by him on San Clemente in May, 1897. 

 are slightly lighter than birds from Pasadena (Pub. 1, Pasadena Acad. Sci., 



1897, 12). Eggs are generally deposited in April and May. Extreme nesting 

 dates are : Thirteen fresh eggs taken by W. M. Pierce near Claremont, Los 

 Angeles County, April 4. 1901. and eleven eggs noted by H. Robertson near 

 Los Angeles. August 9, 1895. 



146. (295) Lophortyx gambeli Gambel. Gambel Quail. 

 Occasional straggler from the desert. H. S. Swarth took an adult male 



near Los Angeles. September 16, 1896 (Grinnell, Pub. 2. Pasadena Acad. Sci.. 



1898. 19). On several occasions during the past twenty-five years, captive birds 

 of this species are known to have been released in the vicinity of Los Angeles. 

 In at least one instance they are known to have bred after their release. It is 

 possible that the specimen taken by Mr. Swarth was one of these released birds 

 or their stock. A male of this species was sent to E. Wall by J. S. Bright. 

 who killed it near San Bernardino. January 15. 1893 (Auk x. 1893, 204 V 

 \\ "here the ranges of L. gambeli and L. c. vallicola come together, hybrids occur 

 (Henshaw/A u k n. 1885, 247). 



147. (297c) Dendragapus obscurus sierrae Chapman. Sierra Grousf. 

 Sierra Nevada Mountains, south to Mt. Pihos, Ventura County. E. W. 



Nelson saw a few of these birds around the summit of Mt. Pihos, in October, 

 1891 (Fisher. N. A. Fauna No. 7, 1893, 31). In July. 1904, J. Grinnell 

 saw two birds and found numerous signs of others, on the north side of Mt. 

 Pihos among the firs. The two birds seen were an old female and a half-grown 



