MOUNTAIN QUAIL 79 



the desert in winter. It is said that in spring many fol- 

 low up the snows as they melt, spending the summer 

 high up on the mountains, and then in the autumn re- 

 turn down the slopes, below the point where snow lies. 

 The birds have a call not very unlike that of the bob- 

 white, a whistle of three syllables, and the attitude as- 

 sumed by the male while calling is not unlike that of 

 the common quail, the wings being drooped and the 

 point of the bill raised. The food consists of insects, 

 seeds, berries, and the buds and tops of tender plants. 

 In the early spring they feed so much on the tops of 

 the wild garlic one of the first green things to appear 

 that the flesh sometimes tastes of the plant. 



This quail is a prolific breeder, the eggs usually vary- 

 ing in number from 9 to 15, though sometimes they 

 are much more numerous, a nest containing 19 eggs 

 being reported, as also a brood of 20 young birds. The 

 time of nesting varies from early April to late May. 

 The eggs are white. 



In northern Lower California Mr. Anthony found 

 that the San Pedro partridge does not differ greatly in 

 habit from the other forms. The race is confined to 

 southern California and northern Lower California. 



The mountain quail is a bird only casually pursued 

 by the gunner. Often they are flushed and shot, and 

 in some localities they are regularly pursued with dogs 

 and shot over points. In such places they are reported 

 to lie close, and to offer good opportunity for sport. 



The situations in which they are often found, rough 

 mountain slopes, overgrown with manzanita, chemisal 



