XI. 



THE QUAILS OF CALIFORNIA. 



QUITE as interesting as any of the peculiari- 

 ties of the valley quail of California is the way 

 he can bother not only the novice, but the ex- 

 perienced shot from the East who first attempts 

 to interview him. 



In December, 1882, a gentleman named Jones 

 called on me ; a strong man he was, and a good 

 shot. He wanted to know where all those quails 

 were that I had been writing about. I was 

 always ready for a hunt in those days, and soon 

 took him to where we saw dark blue dots scud- 

 ding about the green the recent rains had spread 

 over the bottom of a little valley, and darting 

 here and there among the bushes at the foot of 

 the slopes. 



Mr. Jones, who had been loud in his praises 

 of what I had written, showed at once that he 



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