MASSENA QUAIL III 



ter, alighting again within three feet of the nest, and 

 not over six feet from me ; then she walked away with 

 her crest slightly erected, utering a low chuckling 

 whistle, until lost to view behind a Spanish bayonet 

 plant (Yucca) about thirty feet off. I was riding a 

 rather unruly horse, and had to return about thirty 

 yards, to tie him to a yucca, before I should examine 

 the nest. This was placed in a slight depression, pos- 

 sibly dug out by some animal, the top of the nest being 

 on a level with the earth around it. It was well lined 

 with fine stalks of wire-grass almost exclusively, the 

 cavity being about five inches in diameter and two 

 inches deep. At the back, next to the grass, it was 

 slightly arched over, and the overhanging blades of 

 grass hid it entirely from sight. The nest was more 

 carefully made than the average bobwhite's nest, and 

 very nicely concealed." 



The food of the Massena quail, in western Texas and 

 New Mexico, appears to consist of small bulbs, to se- 

 cure which the birds often dig or scratch out holes to 

 the depth of two inches. In the mountains they also 

 eat acorns, mountain laurel, tubers of nut grass, cedar 

 and other berries. 



The nest is likely to be built on a hillside, sometimes 

 well hidden, and often sunk quite deeply in the ground. 

 The eggs seem to run from 8 to 10 in number. They 

 are pure white in color, and, while often glossy, are 

 sometimes, more or less rough and granulated. 



As already stated, the Massena quail is scarcely pur- 



