MASSENA QUAIL 109 



tain Bendire says that in Mexico he has several times 

 seen them living contentedly in cages. 



Capt W. L. Carpenter saw the Massena partridge in 

 the Rio Grande Valley, near Taos, Mexico, and on the 

 headwaters of the Black and White rivers, where he 

 believed it bred. In the breeding season, in Arizona, 

 they are said to frequent live-oak scrub and patches 

 of rank grass, at an altitude of seven to nine thousand 

 feet. "Here," according to Mr. John Swinburne, writ- 

 ing to Captain Bendire, "they are summer residents, 

 only descending to much lower altitudes in winter. 

 They lie very close at all times, allowing one to almost 

 step on them before they move. I have seen this species 

 on the White Mountains during the breeding season, 

 and saw young birds of the year shot there. Even 

 the adults seemed very stupid when suddenly flushed, 

 and after flying short distances would alight and at- 

 tempt to hide in most conspicuous places. I have seen 

 men follow and kill them by throwing stones." 



Captain Bendire also quotes Mr. G. W. Todd, as 

 follows : 



"I first met with the Massena partridge in Bandera 

 County, Texas, in 1883, where they are very scarce, 

 and I learned but little of its habits for a long time. 

 They are very simple and unsuspicious, and apparently 

 live so much in barren and waste places that they do 

 not see enough of man to make them afraid. On see- 

 ing a person they generally squat at once, or run a little 

 way and hide. They will hardly fly until one is almost 

 on them, but when they finally do fly they go much 



