24 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



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 local- 

 ities where not constantly harassed and hunted the California Partridge 

 becomes surprisingly tame and confiding, in fact almost domesticated; and 

 under such circumstances many nest close to houses and outbuildings and in 

 the ' shrubbery of gardens adjoining human habitations. 



Mr. Charles A. Allen, of Nicasio, Marin County, California, writes me as 

 follows: "I found a nest of this species under a bunch of Snowberry bushes 

 (Symphoricarpus), not 30 feet distant from my house, containing twenty-one 

 eggs. I watched this nest daily, and two weeks after finding it the eggs 

 hatched. The female was still on the nest, and the little heads of the young 

 were peeping out all around her. They became very tame, ran all around 

 the yard, and took but little notice of the members of my family when going 

 among them. I think the average number of eggs laid by this species is 

 about fourteen. While the female is incubating, the male usually mounts 

 some old stump, a dead limb, or fencepost in the vicinity of the nest, and 

 every few seconds utters a long-drawn note not unlike 'whaa-whaa.'" 



Mr. W. Otto Emerson, of Haywards, California, states: "I have never known 

 the male to assist in the duties of incubation, but he will make his appearance 

 twice a day near the nesting site. First at break of day, when he gives his 

 call note, "kuck-ku, kuck-ku;" the female then comes off to feed an hour, and 

 the same is repeated at dusk. During the past summer, 1SSII, I found a nest 

 of this species in a pile of brush in the chicken yard, and in May, 18SO, a 

 nest was found in a similar situation, within 15 feet of our front door. Both 

 carriages and persons were passing nearly every hour within 4 feet of this nest, 

 and the bird was frequently disturbed, but did not seem to mind it much. 

 Another nest was placed in the short grass alongside of a highway, with noth- 

 ing at all to conceal it. The food of the downy young consists of insects, 

 small seeds of various plants, and duckweed. When alarmed, the old bird 

 gives one or two notes of warning and flies away. The young, when still too 

 small -to fly, hide quickly under anything in the shape of a leaf or in the grass, 

 and lie close to the ground till the danger is passed, when they are called 

 together again by the parent." 



The nest of the California Partridge is but a very flimsy affair at best. 

 Any place alongside of a rock, log, or an old stump, under a pile of brush, 

 small bush, or a bunch of weeds or grass will answer. Occasionally the eggs 

 are laid in a perfectly open situation without any attempt at concealment 

 whatever, and now and then a hen's nest in the chicken house is used for this 

 purpose. The site once selected, and it does not seem to be a difficult matter 

 to please them in this respect, a slight hollow is scratched out by the bird, and 

 this is sparingly lined with any convenient material near at hand, usually bits 

 of grass. As incubation advances a few feathers drop from the setting hen 

 and work in among the eggs. These, I believe, are constantly turned and 

 rearranged from day to day. Incubation is variously stated to last from 



