208 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTI]SrG. 



running, rather than to those of flight. No difficulty 

 is experienced in getting shots at it, the great trouble 

 being to start it from the ground. The blue colin 

 is the only species of the genus Callipepla, or the 

 beautifully-robed, found in the United States. It has 

 many of the characteristics of the LopJiortyx, or valley 

 quail, but the crest is difEerent, being tufted, fuller, and 

 softer, and composed of short, broad, depressed feathers 

 that spring from the crown. The wing coverts are nor- 

 mal, the tail is stiffened, and averages about three and 

 three-fourths inches in length, and the claws are small 

 and acute. 



The colin is rather small, seldom exceeding nine and 

 a half or ten inches in length, and weighing about ten 

 ounces, so that it is nearer the Virginia quail in size 

 than any other species. A writer whose name I do not 

 know, but who seems to be acquainted with the general 

 habits of this bird, says, that though it inhabits the 

 same region as Gambel's, or the helmeted colin, the two 

 never mingle or even come close to each other. " It has 

 been observed commingling with the south-western vari- 

 ety of the Ortyx virginianus ( Ortyx texana) in Texas, 

 where it is said to resemble the latter bird somewhat in 

 habits, and, further, to breed with it, though we have 

 failed to obtain any description of the hybrids, or posi- 

 tive information as to their existence. At all events, the 

 manners of blue colins do not seem to differ very ma- 

 terially from those of other American Perdicidm, though 

 their cunning and instinct seem vastly superior to some 

 of the species. Among their enemies, besides the usual 

 birds of prey, may be rated wolves, opossums, and rac- 

 coons, which destroy their eggs; tarantulas, which kill 

 and devour the chicks; ocelots, yaguarundi-cats, pumas, 

 Jaguars, peccaries, foxes and snakes. The so-called ''cot- 

 ton-mouth" snake, the rattlesnake, and the burrowing owl 

 also destroy and devour the cheepers and eggs when they 



