March in the Fine Woods. 



native haunts, breathing the same sweet 

 air of the pine woods that they breathe, 

 and feeHng the same thrill of spring 

 life. The mountain-quail habitually 

 frequents higher levels than the valley- 

 quail, although during the winter its 

 range overlaps that of the latter species. 

 It is a somewhat larger bird, with a long, 

 slender, double plume, projecting back- 

 ward from its head. Its back is brown, 

 shaded with olive, the throat and under 

 parts being chestnut, interrupted by a 

 broad patch of bluish slaty color on the 

 breast. On each side of the throat is a 

 line of black bordered with another line 

 of white, and upon the chestnut sides 

 are black and wavy white bars, thus 

 marking the bird in a very striking 

 manner. Altogether it is a very showy 

 species, with quick, active, alert man- 

 ners, generally rather shy in its habits, 

 and less abundant than its more familiar 

 cousin of the valleys. 



It seems almost superfluous to de- 

 scribe the valley-quail, so familiar to the 



147 



