HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 351 



was heard calling out, rather quickly, ~ke Jcai Jcoo, 

 Tc'kaiJcoo, which was usually answered by some other 

 males, to the right and left, who were within hearing. 

 At this time they were paired. About the middle of 

 the day, we sometimes surprised small flocks basking 

 and scratching in the shade of the bushes. 



Mr. Townsend met with small coveys of the Plumed 

 Quail (Lopliortyx Plumiferd), in the woods near the 

 Columbia River. It is probably more common in 

 Upper California; and Douglas's Crested Quail 

 (Lopliortyx Douglasi), and the elegant crested Quail 

 Lopliortyx elegans, have both been found in Upper 

 California. 



The bays, inlets, and rivers, says Mr. Farnham, 

 are well stocked with different species of water birds, 

 and the low lands near the outlets of some of the 

 streams on the Pacific coast actually swarm with 

 geese, widgeons, teal, cranes, curlews, ^snipes, and 

 various other waders and swimmers. 



The Wild Swan (Cygnus ferus\ is the largest of 

 these water birds. They are by far the largest of the 

 web-footed water-fowl, and their plumage throughout 

 is of the purest white. The neck is not more remark 

 able for its extreme length than for its majestic per 

 sonation of the line of beauty ; its bill, slightly hooked 

 at the point, of a black color, without a tubercle, is 

 all of an equal breadth, only higher than it is wide at 

 the base ; the feet are black. The young, pale ash color. 

 The male is upwards of five feet in length, and more 

 than eight in the expanse of its wings ; its usual 

 weight averages from twenty to twenty-five pounds, 

 and sometimes it will even reach thirty ; the female is 

 smaller in size. In former days, swans as well as 

 peacocks were served up at the tables of the great ; 



