122 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 
covered side hills, and cafions, and they frequent the roads, 
cultivated fields, vineyards, and edges of clearings to feed. 
It is a constant resident, and breeds wherever found. 
‘The mating time commences early in March, sometimes 
later, depending on the season. Then the large packs into 
which this species gathers in the fall of the year, break up 
gradually, each pair of birds selecting a suitable nesting-site. 
In the more densely settled portions of California, this Partridge 
is by no means as common now as it was a decade ago, when 
it was not unusual to see packs numbering five hundred and 
more together, while now, at least near the larger cities, coveys 
even of fifty birds are rarely seen. In localities where it is 
not constantly harassed and hunted, the Californian Partridge 
ecomes surprisingly tame and confiding, in fact almost domes- 
ticated; and under such circumstances many nest close to 
houses and out-buildings and in the shrubbery of gardens ad- 
joining human habitations. 
‘The young run about as soon as they are hatched. Usually 
but one brood is raised, occasionally two. In the latter case 
the male takes charge of the young when they are about three 
weeks old, the female then laying the eggs for the second. 
Downy young have been observed as early as the 20th of May 
in the southern portions of their range, and some broods are 
undoubtedly hatched still earlier. In the fall, when the young 
are fullgrown and able to shift for themselves, they collect 
in large packs, a number of coveys associating together until 
the spring. ‘They are much shyer then, and more difficult to 
approach. ‘The usual call-note, when one of these packs be- 
comes scattered, is a rather unmusical ‘ca-dpe, ca-ape,’ the 
last syllable drawn out; another note, like ‘ka-kaah,’ is also 
used on such occasions.” 
Mr. A. W. Anthony writes about the Lower California birds 
as follows :—-“‘I found the Valley Partridge (Californian Quail) 
very common in the mountains of Lower California, up to ar, 
altitude of about 9,000 feet. Both in Southern and Lower 
