BOBWHITE IN MEXICO 65 



and generally their habits are much alike. They range 

 from the sea-level to an altitude of 7,500 feet. 



They have not the shyness or swiftness of wing of 

 the much hunted form of the East and South, and are 

 gentle, unsuspicious little birds, ready to run along on 

 the ground before the traveler or to dodge out of the 

 trail to one side. 



Of the dozen forms described from Mexico, perhaps 

 only two, Ridgway's bobwhite and the Texas bobwhite, 

 cross the boundary into United States territory. No 

 one is so familiar with this group in Mexico as Mr. 

 E. W. Nelson, the distinguished naturalist, whose work 

 in various branches of science, in Alaska, Mexico and 

 Central America, is so well known. In the Auk, for 

 April, 1898, he published a charming account of this 

 group, which is accompanied by an excellent plate of 

 Godman's bobwhite, a species described by Mr. Nelson, 

 from the lowlands of southern Vera Cruz. Mr. Nelson 

 calls his sketch "With Bobwhite in Mexico," and we 

 copy it here: 



"While traveling in Mexico a few seasons ago, I 

 arrived at a small town near the southern end of the 

 tableland in the State of Puebla. The first business 

 in hand was to secure suitable quarters for myself and 

 assistant. Having accomplished this, I was ready at 

 an early hour the following morning for a tramp into 

 the surrounding country. It chanced to be market 

 day, and passing the outskirts of the town I met a 

 straggling procession of Indians, in picturesque cos- 

 tumes, some driving heavily loaded donkeys, others car- 



