1 88 THE BIRDS ABOUT Us. 



road, dusts itself in the lane, and, perching on a fence- 

 post, whistles the two short, clear notes that have 

 given it one of the many common names by which 

 we know it. When the brood is young it is so well 

 cared for that we do not often see either parents or 

 offspring; but in autumn, when the young are strong 

 of wing, a greater caution comes upon them all, and 

 they endeavor to keep quite clear of man. They are 

 not equal to it, and suffer in consequence, being 

 chased by dogs and hunters until their life must be 

 a veritable burden; but in winter, when the deep 

 snows have come, these same quails come without 

 hesitation to the farm-yard and ask a portion of the 

 poultry's daily meal. They are tame again, and, 

 being so, are very entertaining. 



The Mountain-partridge, or Quail of California, is 

 " much the largest and handsomest of this country. 

 Its distribution is limited and rather peculiar, as it 

 inhabits almost exclusively the mountain ranges of 

 Oregon and California." This bird in a general way 

 has the habits of the Eastern bird. 



There are several others in the Southwest, their 

 habits varying only so much as the country calls for. 

 They are reported as affording good sport, and what 

 persecution they suffer in that direction now will be 

 as nothing to what is in store for them when the 

 now sparsely-settled region is more generally occu- 

 pied. The Pacific slope and the Western plains be- 

 yond the Mississippi are the homes of the grouse of 

 this country. It is true that we have one species 

 still here in the East, and formerly had two, and that 

 there are ptarmigan in Canada and Northern New 



