THE PARTRIDGES, 19 



Mr. Gibbs mentions haying met with great numbers of 

 t hese birds in Eussian River in 1851, and again in the Kla- 

 inat li in 1852, They were very tame, but took to the bushes 

 when disturbed, perching on the limbs. Like the sharp- 

 t ailed Grouse, they gathered in large flocks. This was the 

 case even when young, and it has been thence inferred that 

 several females belong to one male, and with their broods 

 all run together. 



Dr. Kennerly states that his party first met with this 

 beautiful Partridge upon reaching the waters of the Mo- 

 have River, and during the march up the stream he found 

 it very abundant, as well as among the settlements along 

 the coast. He could perceive no difference in its habits 

 from those of Lophortyx gambeli, 



Dr. Heermann states that he found the California Quail 

 very numerous as far south as Vallecita, where commences 

 the desert that extends to the Colorado, forming an appar- 

 ently impassable harrier between it and the closely allied 

 species. Gambel's Partridge. When flushed from the 

 ground, it invariably flies to the trees, if in a wooded coun- 

 try. where it s<ji:ats so closely lengthwise on a branch that 

 it can rarely be seen when thus hidden. It will not lie to 

 a <lo<r, but runs until it is forced to fly. It may be readily 

 tamed, and in California is often domesticated with the 

 poultry. Several years since, according to Dr. Heermann, 

 an attempt was made to introduce these birds into Long 

 Island, which at first promised to be successful ; but unfor- 

 tunately, after the first season, they were all exterminated 

 I y t he. gunners for the New York market, 



Mr. Rido-way met with this species only on the west 

 slope of the Sierra Nevada, and at an altitude of not more 

 1 han four or five thousand feet. He had no opportunity to 

 learn anything in regard to its habits, but was enabled to 

 listen to'its notes. The call-note of the male is very pecu- 

 liar, and resembles somewhat the syllables kuck-kuck-kee, the 

 accent being on the last syllable. The common note of the 

 male bird, when disturbed with its mate in the bushes, and 

 probably having a brood of young in the vicinity, was a 



