82 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 
The birds seem to shun the timber, and to be most 
abundant on the high mesas, preferring the dry and 
barren country. Mr. Herbert Brown, however, speaks 
of having seen them immediately about water as well as 
far away from it. Captain Bendire, however, intimates 
that his experience leads him to think that the bird 
scarcely requires water. Mr. E. W. Nelson tells us 
that, while he has often found them far from water, 
they nevertheless make regular visits to the watering 
SCALED QUAIL 
places. All observers agree that they are exceedingly 
shy and hard to approach, and that they are swift run- 
ners, dodging in and out among the bushes with the 
greatest ease, and soon out of sight. Even if flushed 
they fly but a short distance, when they alight and 
run again. Like many other gallinaceous birds, they 
greatly enjoy taking dust and sand baths, and at such 
times they act much like young chickens. In the eve- 
ning they retire to roost, to ridges and knolls, and the 
birds call to each other until the bevy has come to- 
