THE PARTRIDGES 107 



quails in the list. I have at another place suggested 

 that we drop the term quail and " quail shooting." 



The partridge most familiar to sportsmen is the 

 Bob-white. This is the bird most widely distributed, 

 being found from New England to the Gulf and west- 

 ward to the great plains, following civilization to the 

 Northwest as far as it can stand the winters, and thriv- 

 ing in California and many Western States where it has 

 been introduced. 



Two partridges live in California and the Pacific 

 Coast region, known as the California valley partridge 

 and the mountain partridge. The former is smaller 

 than Bob-white, the latter larger. The other par- 

 tridges are all Southwestern birds, have limited 

 ranges, and are found from the Rio Grande country in 

 Texas to Lower California and Mexico. The scaled 

 partridge is most abundant in Texas and New Mexico, 

 the Gambels partridge in New Mexico and Arizona. 

 The Massena is nowhere very abundant, but is found in 

 Mexico and the adjacent States and Territories, east as 

 far as San Antonio, Texas. The range of all the birds 

 will be found stated with accuracy in the appendix. 



The Florida Bob-white and the Texas Bob-white 

 are the same as the Northern bird, save as to slight 

 difference of color. They are, too, a little smaller 

 than the Northern birds. The differences, however, 

 I regard as purely local or climatic. 



All the Western and Southwestern birds are noted 

 for their beautitul plumage and plumes or crests. 

 Bob- white, of course, is brown and gray. 



Bob-white is the best of all the partridges both in 

 the field and on the table. 



