350 HISTORY OP CALIFORNIA. 





CALIFORNIA QUAIL. 



to be peculiar to California. The California Crested 

 Quail (Lopliortyx CaUfornica), is thus noticed by 

 Nuttall : 



This species, discovered by Menzies, is wholly con 

 fined to the west side of the northern Andes, and is 

 common throughout the provinces of Upper California, 

 and the territory of the Oregon. 



In small flocks and pairs they are abundant in 

 Upper California, and are sometimes so gentle and 

 confidant, as to show but little alarm when approached. 

 Its manners are very similar to those of the common 

 American Partridge. The males in spring are often 

 seen perched on low bushes, where they utter for hours 

 their peculiar almost crowing call, and in the same 

 quaint voice with its eastern prototype. 



A day or two after my arrival at Monterey in Cali 

 fornia, in the evening, returning from a walk, I heard, 

 as I thought, some Indians or boys calling out in a 

 loud strain ; but soon found that this cry was answered 

 at small distances like the crowing of fowls. It was, 

 in fact, the call of the Tufted Californian Quail, 

 "k'h, k'h Jc'h Jc'h." About the middle of April, in 

 the plains round the port of St. Diego, this species 

 was very abundant ; and every now and then in the 

 day, the male, perched on some low bush or hillock, 



