116 LLOYD’S NATURAL HISTORY. 
tion of New Mexico and Southern Arizona, extending south 
into Miextco. «sais 
‘“‘ According to my own observations, the Scaled Partridge is 
found most abundantly on the high plateaus bordering on the 
principal streams of the regions under consideration, reaching 
an altitude of from 1,500 fo nearly 7,000 feet. It shuns tim- 
bered country, and in Southern Arizona, where I have frequently 
met with these birds, they seemed to me to prefer the most 
barren and dryest portions of that scantily-watered territory. 
I invariably found them back in the foot-hills and mesas, from 
two to five miles distant from the river beds, which are generally 
dry Torthe ereater part Of the year. 2 =: 
‘From the repelling nature of the country it generally 
frequents, it is naturally hunted very little; still, I found it 
exceedingly shy and wary, and very difficult to approach, far 
more so than Gambel’s Partridge. It prefers to trust almost en- 
tirely to its legs for escape, and is generally successful, being an 
expert and swift runner, dodging in and out among the bushes 
with great ease and dexterity, and is consequently soon lost to 
sight. The covey generally follow a leader, Indian-file fashion. 
Its habits seem, however, to differ somewhat in other parts 
of its range.” (Be.dire.) 
Mr. E. W. Nelson furnishes the following observations 
about this species. He says:—‘‘In many instances I have 
found them far from water, but they make regular visits to the 
watering-places. . . . They are very difficult to Mush 
owing to the rapidity with which they run through the bushes 
and other vegetation. When flushed, they scatter, and after 
flying a short distance, alight, and run on as before. As soon 
as the alarm is over, the old birds reassemble the flock by a 
low call-note. 
“Tn the latter part of summer and early fall they gather into 
coveys, often containing several broods, as I observed in 1882, 
in the valley of the Gila River, near Clifton, Arizona. At this 
season they frequented the low bare hill-sides or the now dry 
