THE PARTRIDGES. 23 



seldom be made to fly, depending more upon their feet as 

 a mode of escape than upon their wings. They run very 

 rapidly, but seldom, if ever, hide, and remain close in the 

 grass or bushes in the manner of the eastern Quail. 



From Fort Yuma, on the Colorado Eiver, to Eagle Springs, 

 between El Paso and San Antonio, where he last saw a 

 flock of these birds. Dr. Heermann states he found them 

 more or less abundant whenever the party followed the 

 course of the Grila, or met with water-holes or streams of 

 any kind. Although they frequent the most arid portions 

 of the country, where they find a scanty subs'istence of 

 grass-seed, mesquite leaves, and insects, they yet manifest 

 a marked preference for the habitations of man, and were 

 much more numerous in the cultivated fields of Tucson, 

 Mesilla Valley, and El Paso. Towards evening, in the 

 vicinity of tbe Mexican villages, the loud call-notes of the 

 male birds may be heard, gathering the scattered members 

 of the flocks, previous to issuing from the cover where they 

 have been concealed during the day. Eesorting to the 

 trails and the roads in search of subsistence, while thus 

 engaged they utter a low soft note .which keeps the flock 

 together. They are not of a wild nature — often permit a 

 near approach, seldom fly unless suddenly flushed, and seem 

 to prefer to escape from danger by retreating to dense 

 thickets. In another report Dr. Ileerman mentions finding 

 this species in California on the Mohave desert at the point 

 where the river empties into a large salt lake forming its 

 terminus. The flock was wild, and could not be approached. 

 Afterwards he observed them on the Big Lagoon of New 

 River. At Fort Yuma they were quite abundant, congre- 

 gating in large coveys, frequenting the thick underwood in 

 the vicinity of the mesquite-trees. Their stomachs were 

 found to be filled with the seeds of the mesquite, a few 

 grass seeds, and the berries of a parasitic plant. On being 

 suddenly flushed these birds separate very widely, but in> 

 mediately upon alighting commence their call-note, resem- 

 bling the soft chirp of a young chicken, which is kept up 

 for some time. The alarm over, and the flock once more 



