PERDICID^ — THE PARTRIDGES. 487 



This species is known to be abundant in the country around the sources 

 of the Gila River, and has also been found along that river from the Pimo 

 villages to its mouth, and there is no doubt that it inhabits the entire valley 

 of the Gila. It was also common along the Colorado Eiver, as far as the 

 mouth of the Gila, and has been met with in that valley as high up as Tam- 

 pia Creek, latitude 34°. 



Colonel McCall regards this species as less wild and vigilant than the 

 California species. It is later in breeding, as coveys of young California 

 Quails were seen, one fourth grown, June 4, while all the birds of Gambel's 

 were without their young as late as June 16. The voice of the male at this 

 season is described as strikingly rich and full. The cry may be imitated by 

 slowly pronouncing in a low tone the syllables haa-wcde, kaa-^vale. When 

 the day is calm and still, these notes may be heard to a surprising distance. 

 This song is continued, at short intervals, in the evening, for about an hour. 

 Later in the season when a covey is dispersed, the cry for reassembling is 

 said to resemble qua-el qua-cl. The voice of this bird at all seasons bears a 

 great resemblance to that of the California Quail, but has no resemblance to 

 that of the eastern Ortyx virginiana. In their crops were found the leaves 

 of the mesquite, coleopterous insects, wild gooseberries, etc. 



An egg of this species, taken by Dr. Palmer at Camp Grant, measures 

 1.25 inches in length by 1.00 in breadth. The ground-color is a cream 

 white, beautifully marked with ragged spots of a deep chestnut. In shape 

 it closely corresponds with the egg of the California Partridge. 



Genus CALLIPEPLA, Wagler. 



Callipepla, Wagler, Isis, 1832. (Type, Ortyx squaviata, Vig.) 



Gex. Char. Head with a broad, short, depressed tufted crest of soft, thick feathers 

 springing from the vertex. Other character, as in Lophortyx. Sexes similar. 



The single United States species is of a liluish tint, without any marked 

 contrast of color. The feathers of the neck, breast, and belly have a narrow 

 edging of black. 



Callipepla squamata, Gray. 



SCALED OR BLUE PARTRIDGE. 



Ortyx squamatus, Vigors, Zool. Journ. V, 1830, 275. ^Abert, Pr. A. N. Sc. Ill, 1847, 

 221. Callipepla squamata, Gray, Gen. Ill, 1846, 514. — M'Call, Pr. A. N. Sc. V, 

 1851, 222. — Cassin, III. I, v, 1854, 129 ; pi. xix. —Gould, Mon. Odont. pi. xix. — 

 Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 646. —Ib. Mex. B. II, Birds, 23. —Gray, Cat. Brit. Mws. 

 V, 1867, 78. — Heerm. X, C, 19. —Coop. Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 556. Callipepla sirenua, 

 "Wagler, Isis, XXV, 1832, 278. Tetrao aetata, De la Llave, Kegistro trimestre, 

 I, 1832, 144. 



