THE MOUNTAIN QUAIL. 565 
suitable localities. But what a change a few years of persecution have wrought! 
Where formerly a dozen large coveys could be found within a small area, 
only an occasional solitary bird, rarely a pair, is now left of this gem among 
our upland birds. The entire blame cannot be laid at the door of the sports- 
man, altho modern rapid-fire guns have played their part. By far the worst 
havoc has been wrought by the treacherous nets, snares, and traps of all de- 
MOUNTAIN QUAIL. 
scriptions, which unscrupulous persons set in defiance of law. Tioo lazy to 
hunt, these human vermin catch the poor birds alive and wring their necks. 
Before close association with mankind had proved so fatal a mistake, 
these partridges were among the tamest and most confiding of birds. Utterly 
unsuspicious of danger, they would run into the yard and eat with the farmer’s 
hens, paying little attention to any passing human being. When flushed from 
their haunts in the woods, the whole covey would merely fly into the nearest 
bushes and trees. Now all is changed, for the “fittest” survivors have in- 
herited the knowledge that mankind is their deadliest enemy. 
These “Big Blue Quail,” as they are often termed, are the largest of all 
the partridges of North America, and the sudden whirring of wings when they 
leave cover may easily be mistaken for that of the Ruffed Grouse. If the bird 
