NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS EGGS. 



137 



[Creamy white.] 



293a. Chestnut-bellied Scaled Partridge. Callipepla squamata castanogastrw. 



Range. Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas and southward into Mexico. 



This subspecies is like the last with the addition of a chestnut patch on the 

 belly. Their breeding habits do not vary in any particular way from those of 

 the Scaled Partridge. In comparing a large series of the eggs of each species, 

 no differences can be found in either color or markings. 



294. California Partridge. Lophortyx californica. 



Range. Coast region of California, Oregon, Washington and British Colum- 

 bia. 



This is one of the most beautiful of the Partridges, ^aBKst*^ 



with its crest of feathers rising from the crown and curv- 

 ing forwards so that the broadened ends hang directly 

 over the bill. It is of about the size of the preceding 

 species, and is distinguished from the following one by 

 its white forehead, chestnut patch on the belly and the 

 scaly appearance of the feathers in that region, by its 

 dark crown and the gray flanks with white streaks. 

 Their nests are placed on the ground, under bushes, 

 hedges, brush piles, or in almost any conceivable place 

 that will offer concealment. The birds are very tame and frequently nest in 

 door yards. They lay from eight to twenty eggs with a creamy white or buffy 

 ground color, handsomely blotched with shades of brown and yellowish brown. 

 Size 1.20 x .93. 



294a. Valley Partridge. Lophortyx californica vallicola. 



Range. Interior portions of California, Oregon and Washington. 

 The nesting habits of this grayer subspecies do not differ in any manner from 

 those of the above species. The eggs are indistinguishable. 



295. Gambel Partridge. Lophortyx gambeli. 



Range. Southwestern United States from Texas to California; north to Utah. 



This handsome species differs from the California 

 in the chestnut crown and flanks, and the black patch 

 on the belly. They are very abundant in Arizona, 

 both on the mountains and in the valleys, and 

 apparently without any regard to the nearness to, or 

 remoteness from a water supply. They breed during 

 May, laying their eggs on the ground under any 

 suitable cover. The eggs cannot be distinguished 

 from those of the California Partridge, except that 

 they average a trifle larger. Size 1.25 x .95. 



[Buff.] 



296. Mearns Partridge; Massena Partridge. Crytonyx nwittczinnn ,n<urn*i. 



Range. Mexico, north to southern Arizona and New Mexico, and to western 

 Texas 



A remarkable species about 9 inches long; often called "Fool Quail" because 

 of its eccentric and clownish markings, streaks and spots of black, white, bi 

 gray and chestnut. It is met with in small flocks on the mountains and 1 



