PERDICID^ — THE PARTRIDGES. 43X 



when young, and it has been thence inferred that several females belong to 

 one male, and with their broods all run together. 



Dr. Kennerly states that his party first met with this beautiful Partridge 

 upon reaching the waters of the Mohave Eiver, and during the march up the 

 stream he found it very abundant, as well as among the settlements along 

 the coast. He could perceive no difference in its habits from those of 

 Lophortyx gamheli. 



Dr. Heermann states that he found the California Quail very numerous as 

 far south as Vallecita, where commences the desert that extends to the 

 Colorado, forming an apparently impassable barrier between it and the close- 

 ly allied species, Gambel's Partridge. When flushed from the ground, it in- 

 variably flies to the trees, if in a wooded country, where it squats so closely 

 lengthwise on a branch that it can rarely be seen when thus liidden. It 

 will not lie to a dog, but runs until it is forced to fly. It may be readily 

 tamed, and in California is often domesticated with the poultry. Several 

 years since, according to Dr. Heermann, an attempt was made to introduce 

 these birds into Long Island, which at first promised to be successful ; but 

 unfortunately, after the first season, they were all exterminated by the gun- 

 ners for the New York market. 



Mr. Eidgway met with this species only on the west slope of the Sierra 

 Nevada, and at an altitude of not more than four or five thousand feet. He 

 had no opportunity to learn anything in regard to its habits, but was enabled 

 to listen to its notes. The call-note of the male is very peculiar, and re- 

 sembles somewhat the syllables kuck-kuck-Me, the accent being on the last 

 syllable. The common note of the male bird, when disturbed with its mate 

 in the bushes, and probably having a brood of young in the vicinity, was a 

 sharp j9zY, precisely like tlie common note of the Cardinal Grosbeak. 



The nest of this bird is made in the open field, or at the foot of a bush, 

 and is composed of loose grasses arranged without much care. The eggs are 

 said to be twelve or sixteen in number, and are yellowish or grayish white, 

 spotted and dashed with dark brown or burnt-umber. 



Mr. Titian E. Peale, in his Notes on the Wilkes expedition, mentions ob- 

 serving this species in the mountainous regions of Southern Oregon, near the 

 43d degree of north latitude, which he regarded as their farthest northern 

 range. He frequently observed them collecting at night to roost in trees. 

 At such times their call-note was plaintive, and had a slight resemblance to 

 the words cut-cut- cut-me-ioo. Specimens of this bird were taken alive, kept 

 by members of the expedition, and brought to the city of Washington by a 

 route equal to the circumference of the globe, where they produced one brood 

 of young. 



Soda Lake, the " sink " of the Mohave Eiver, the bed of which is usually 

 quite dry, except in spots, for many miles, is said by Dr. Coues to be just 

 where this species and the L. gaviheli find a neutral ground, the western 

 bird following the watercourses until arrested by the desert. 



VOL. III. 61 



