CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME . 369 



birds either fed or drank while in such confined quarters. There they 

 were to remain, however, until a sufficient number had been collected to 

 warrant a trip to the border. In some instances, we were told, old 

 adobe houses had been utilized as holding pens but the above-described 

 method was, unfortunately, the one most commonly employed. 



There is little to criticize in the quail trapping method just 

 described. It is an ingenious method and one admirably suited to 

 Lower Californian conditions, though it would be of little use in a 

 region only sparsely populated with quail made wild by continual 

 shooting. The "driving method" as depicted here is distinctly advan- 

 tageous in that only a relatively small percentage of birds is taken 

 from each covey insuring a permanent breeding stock and a consequent 

 large annual crop of young birds. The methods employed in holding 

 and handling the birds are in contrast to the trapping procedure open 

 to considerable criticism. When one considers that the birds were held 

 for at least several days, and often as long as a week, in close con- 

 finement with virtually no food or water, and were then subjected to 

 an arduous two hundred mile journey in poorly ventilated trucks, it 

 appears strange that the losses were no greater. The fact that so many 

 birds survived that sort of treatment is a tribute to the hardiness of 

 the species. The trip to San Telmo was made in order that a thorough 

 investigation of Mexican methods might be conducted and to so alter 

 the plan of operations that losses might be reduced to the minimum. 



The quail imported from Lower California are not identical to the 

 bii-ds that we know as natives of southern California. The San Telmo 

 (juail is referred to in scientific journals as Lophortyx californica 

 jdumhea, a subspecies of the California quail that inhabits the coastal 

 regions of the State. It differs but little, however, from the valley 

 quail, Lophortyx californica vallicola, in either habits or coloration 

 and is adapting itself admirably to a new environment. Even in such 

 a poor quail year as 1934 has proven itself to be, we have found the 

 Lo'wer Californian birds mating freely with not only their own kind, 

 but with native birds as well, and the pround father of many a family 

 of young quail produced this year on California refuges displays the 

 slightly reddish head that proclaims his alien origin. 



In all, 8297 live birds completed the journey from San Telmo to 

 Chino of which 7517 were released after a short stay at the game farm. 

 Seven hundred and eighty quail remained at the game farm as breeding 

 stock, to be released at the close of the hatching season. The imported 

 quail cost the sportsmen of California exactly $1,918. This sum 

 represents not only the actual cost of the birds but includes as well 

 the cost of trapping permits and the salary of the Mexican inspector 

 stationed at San Telmo. The cost per bird planted was a fraction 

 more than twenty-three cents. 



As the above figures indicate, we have imported less than 10 per 

 cent of our quota of one hundred thousand quail. This was due to the 

 fact that trapping activities commenced after the optimum trapping 

 season was over and were limited by inclement weather and the rapidly 

 approaching mating season. In addition, the difficulties involved in the 

 transportation of the birds to the border tended to limit the number of 

 shipments. 



