112 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 



sued for sport, and on this point Mr. Herbert Brown, 

 of Tucson, Arizona, writes me as follows : 



"The Massena quail, or, as it is now called, Monte- 

 zuma quail, will lie well to a dog, but, practically speak- 

 ing, they are not hunted as a game bird; in fact, not 

 hunted at all. They are mountainous in their habits, 

 and are not commonly killed. 



"This bird, among the Mexicans, is known as 

 'guinea/ and also as 'chacalaca.' The latter word is 

 commonly applied to persons of garrulous or talkative 

 dispositions. As the male bird, when strutting among 

 the females, keeps up a continual clatter, the Mexican 

 people, with their readiness for characterization, call 

 them 'chacalaca/ 



"It is among the most peculiar of our game birds, 

 and I much regret that it is so little known. Of all 

 the quail it is the most easily domesticated. Some years 

 ago a young female was sent to me from Sonora. As 

 I then had no means of keeping it, I gave it to a friend. 

 It was raised about the house, and was as tame as a 

 pet chicken. A swinging door led into the kitchen, and 

 it was always careful to await its opportunity, and make 

 its run through as the door swung open. Some years 

 ago I heard of a small bunch on the Sonoita that fed 

 regularly with the chickens at the ranch house. At a 

 ranch house on the Sopre two adult birds took up with 

 the chickens, and in the spring following raised a brood 

 of little ones, some four or five of which grew to ma- 

 turity. Eventually they fell into disfavor and were 

 driven away or killed. This was due to the pugnacity 



