The Avifauna. 



23 



mother, and, one by one the confiding little 

 birds ran toward me, and in about five 

 minutes I had them all in my hat — about 

 fourteen I believe, and some were so recent 

 from the shell that their down was still moist, 

 and one egg in the nest was just hatching. 

 The mother was not to be seen, so I put 

 them all out on the ground and they immed- 

 iately scrambled for cover, while I departed 

 to allow her to return and collect her little 

 treasures. 



These partridges can be raised successfully 

 from eggs set under domestic hens, but their 

 wild instinct leads them away forever at ap- 

 proach of the mating season. 



Eleven to fifteen eggs seems to be the 

 average number in a set, and, in sets of 

 twenty or more, the markings, color, shape 

 and size strongly indicate the product of two 

 or more females. Under the laws of Nature 

 it is not reasonable that one bird would lay, 

 say, twenty-five eggs, because those first laid 

 would be stale by the time incubation was 

 started. I have observed as many as five 

 eggs deposited in one day in a single nest, 

 but the number will vary greatly from day 

 to day. 



There is a wide difference in markings, 

 color, size and shape of the eggs, especially 

 in the ground color and markings. The eggs 

 are of various shades of cream color, more 

 or less blotched, spotted and dotted with old- 

 gold and chestnut-brown, the latter color 

 often approaching black. One egg of a set 

 of twelve was buff, unspotted, like the egg 

 of the Ruffled Grouse. Five eggs of a set of 

 seventeen were light buff with rough shell 

 granulations, so minutely and faintly dotted 

 as to give them a queer appearance. Oc- 

 casionally an almost pure white egg is found 

 among a set. but more often dropped and 

 deposited at random along road sides and in 

 fields, or wherever the bird may be when 

 torced to get rid of the egg ; biit these eggs 

 lack the smooth, shiny surface. 



My largest find was one bird incubating 

 thirty- eight eggs, piled in layers, one on top 

 of the other, and in such a case, where the 



"set" was made by more than one bird^ 

 only one pair assumes ownership at and after 

 incu'-ation is begun, although an occasional 

 egg may be deposited under the setting bird 

 and the others seek new nesting sites for their 

 second sets. 



Both parents are engaged in rearing the 

 brood, and the oldest flocks become gregar" 

 ious about September, remaining in flocks 

 of ten to fifty or more until they pair off next 

 spring. 



A few years ago there was a band of these 

 partridges, at least one thousand, that daily 

 entered the ground** of Mills' Seminary, situ- 

 ated in the foothills back of Alameda, to be 

 fed. Flocks could be seen at feeding time 

 running over the lawns and walks, some of 

 them almost as tame as chickens Hunters 

 on the outskirts played havoc with this band ; 

 it was no uncommon sight to see wounded 

 birds limping about the grounds — and of late 

 vears the gentleman whose pride was his 

 flock of partridges has passed away an<l the 

 the custom of feeding them has been neg- 

 lected so that there are now very few birds 

 left on this once magnificent preserve 



D. A. Cohen. 



Alameda, Cal. 



The specimen copy of Avifauna received and 

 Mr. D. and myself think it a beautiful little 

 journal. 1 like the cover and think it very ar- 

 tistic and graceful as well as appropriate. We 

 wish you much success. I mail yon one dollar for 

 one years subscription. \). A. Dodge. Chula 

 Vista, Cal. 



I received the sample copy of the Avifauna 

 and am very much pleased to know that South- 

 ern California is to have so valuable an addi- 

 tion to ornithology and oology. Enclosed please 

 find draft for one dollar for one years subscrip- 

 tion. May success crown your efforts is one of 

 my wishes. J. Maurice Hatch, Escondido. CaL 



Your creditable magazine received, thanks. 



W. E. Webb, Albion, N. Y. 



Sample copy Avifauna to hand, am much 

 pleased with same. D. M. AvERiLL, Portland, Or, 



Sunday morning August 31, 1895, I noticed a 

 small group of white-throated Swifts flying 

 due south over the city, undoubtedly migra- 

 ting. 



O. W. Howard. 



