THE HARLEQUIN QUAILS. 147 
inches ; wing, 4°7 ; tail, 2°1 ; tarsus, 1°1; middle toe and claw, 
135. 
Range.—Mexico, extending north to Arizona and South- 
western Texas, south as far as the city of Mexico, west to 
Jalisco, and east to Tamaulipas. 
Habits——Mr. Dresser procured several examples of this 
species, also known as the “Fool Quail” or “Black Part- 
ridge,” in Southern Texas, and remarks :—“TI afterwards 
found the bird on several occasions when riding along the 
higher hill ranges, and altogether shot six, while a man who 
was with me killed two more. In their habits they are more like 
the Texan Quail than any other, but on the wing are easily dis- 
tinguished, for they fly heavily, though very swiftly. When dis- 
turbed they squat very close, and will not move until one is 
close upon them ; indeed, I found them generally rise up almost 
under my feet.” 
Mr. William Lloyd, writing to Captain Bendire from Marfa, 
Texas, says that “the favourite resorts of the Massena Part- 
ridge are the rocky ravines or arroyas. that head well up in 
the mountains. They quickly, however, adapt themselves to 
changed conditions of life, and are now to be seen around 
the ranches picking up grain and scratching in the fields. In 
the vicinity of Fort Davis, Texas, they have been exceptionally 
numerous, and may frequently be seen sitting on the stone walls 
surrounding grain-fields in Limpa Cafion. In Mexico I have 
seen them several times living contentedly in cages. In Mes- 
quite Cafion they are the only Partridge found ; and in June 
and July, 1887, I spent some time there trying principally to 
locate the nest and eggs of this species. I found a single egg 
in a depression at the roots of a tasaca cactus, presumably 
belonging to this species. It was white, without any markings 
whatever. While there, I was informed by two different parties 
living in the vicinity that each of them had found a nest the 
previous year, 1886, containing eight and ten eggs respectively, 
which they had eaten. They described the eggs as being 
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