BOBWHITE IN MEXICO 65 
and generally their habits are much alike. They range 
from the sea-level to an altitude of 7,500 feet. 
They have not the shyness or swiftness of wing of 
the much hunted form of the East and South, and are 
gentle, unsuspicious little birds, ready to run along on 
the ground before the traveler or to dodge out of the 
trail to one side. 
Of the dozen forms described from Mexico, perhaps 
only two, Ridgway’s bobwhite and the Texas bobwhite, 
cross the boundary into United States territory. No 
one is so familiar with this group in Mexico as Mr. 
FE. W. Nelson, the distinguished naturalist, whose work 
in various branches of science, in Alaska, Mexico and 
Central America, is so well known. In the Auk, for 
April, 1898, he published a charming account of this 
group, which is accompanied by an excellent plate of 
Godman’s bobwhite, a species described by Mr. Nelson, 
from the lowlands of southern Vera Cruz. Mr. Nelson 
calls his sketch “With Bobwhite in Mexico,” and we 
copy it here: 
“While traveling in Mexico a few seasons ago, I 
arrived at a small town near the southern end of the 
tableland in the State of Puebla. The first business 
in hand was to secure suitable quarters for myself and 
assistant. Having accomplished this, I was ready at 
an early hour the following morning for a tramp into 
the surrounding country. It chanced to be market 
day, and passing the outskirts of the town I met a 
straggling procession of Indians, in picturesque cos- 
tumes, some driving heavily loaded donkeys, others car- 
