THE CALIFORNIAN QUAILS. 125 
with white centres. Total length, 9°8 inches; wings, 5; tail, 
4; tarsus, 1°3; middle toe and claw, 1°55. 
Adult Female——Differs from the female of Z. calfornicus in 
having the crest considerably more developed ; xo white spots 
on the back of the neck; the chest-feathers with dark shafts ; 
wo black margins to the feathers of the breast and belly, and 
the flanks ches¢nut with white centres. Rather smaller in size. 
Range-—Western States of North America; extending north 
to Utah, south to the State of Sonora, North Mexico, west- 
ward to South California, and east to Arizona and Western 
liexas: 
Habits—IF'rom Captain Bendire’s splendid work, “ Life 
Histories of North American Birds,” the following notes on 
this species are taken :—‘‘ Wherever water is found, Gambel’s 
Partridge is common throughout Southern Arizona up to 
an altitude of 5,000 feet; and in New Mexico Mr. W. H. 
Cobb, of Albuquerque, informs me that he met with young 
fledglings in the pine forests at an altitude of 8,oco0 to 
9,000 feet. . . . During the mating- and breeding-season, 
the former commencing usually in the latter part of February, 
the latter about the first week in April, and occasionally 
later, according to the season, the male frequently utters a 
call like ‘yuk-kae-ja, yuk-kde-ja,’ each syllable distinctly 
articulated and the last two somewhat drawn out. A trim, 
handsome, and proud -looking cock, whose more sombre- 
coloured mate had a nest close by, used an old mesquite 
stump, about four feet high, and not more than twenty feet 
from my tent, as his favourite perch, and I had many excellent 
opportunities to watch him closely. Standing perfectly erect, 
with his beak straight up in the air, his tail slightly spread, and 
wings somewhat drooping, he uttered this call in a clear strong 
voice every few minutes for half an hour or so, or until dis- 
turbed by something, and this he repeated several times a day. 
I corsider it a call of challenge, or of exultation, and it was 
