THE PARTRIDGES. 37 



with. They were in covejs of from eight to twelve indi- 

 viduals, and apfjeared to be simple and affectionate in dis- 

 position. In feeding thev separated but little, keeping up 

 all the while a social duck. They were so gentle as to 

 evince little or no alarm on the approach of man, hardly 

 moving out of the way as they passed, and only running 

 off or flying a few yards, even when half their number had 

 been shot. Colonel MeCall was of the opinion that they 

 might, with very little difficulty, be domesticated, though 

 naturally inhabiting a barren waste nowhere near the habi- 

 tation of man. The call-note is spoken of as very peculiar. 

 The bird was not seen by his party after crossing the Pecos 

 Eiver. Air. Gould, without any information in regard to 

 the habits or economy of this sjjecies, in his Ponograph of 

 American Partridges, judging fi*om the comparative short- 

 ness of the toes and the great development of the claws, 

 ventured the opinion that the habits would be found very 

 different from those of other members of the family, which 

 opinion is thus confirmed. Mr. Cassin thought he could 

 trace in the circular spots, numerous in the lower part of 

 the body, an analogy in character to the Guinea-fowls, 

 which is further shown by their habit of continually utter- 

 ing their notes as they feed, and by other similarity in their 

 manners. 



Captain S. G. French, cited by !Mr. Cassin, mentions meet- 

 ing with this Partridge in the summer of 1846, when cross- 

 ing the table-lands that extend westwardly from San 

 Antonio, in Texas, to Xew Mexico. On the sides of a high 

 rocky mountain near the summit, he observed several of 

 them only a few feet in advance of him. They were run- 

 ning along over the fragments of rocks ^d through the 

 dwarf bushes, which grew wherever there was sufficient 

 .soil. He was attracted by their handsome plumage and 

 their extreme gentleness. A few days after, when eucamp- 

 ed on the head-waters of the river, he again met with a 

 covey, and from that point occasionally encountered them 

 on the route to the Pecos Eiver. a distance of over a hun- 

 dred miles. He did not meet with them again until he 



