354 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 



differ so widely from those which prevail in the more 

 humid East that it will probably take a long time 

 for gunners and dogs to work out a system, at once 

 agreeable and effective, for shooting these game birds. 



Dr. Elliot declares that many are shot over dogs, but 

 that far more are trapped and netted. 



The situation is still more difficult when birds of 

 the extremely dry country of Arizona and New Mexico 

 are in question, though, as will be seen further on, 

 Mearns' quail appears in quite a different category. 



SCALED QUAIL. 



Of his attempts to shoot the scaled, or blue quail, 

 Dr. Coues says : 



"This species is a bird of noticeably terrestrial hab- 

 its, rarely taking to trees or bushes unless hard pressed 

 in one of those extremities into which some people 

 are fond of forcing any birds large enough to be 

 worth a charge of shot, and wary enough to make it 

 exciting sport to penetrate their poor bodies with it. 

 It generally trusts to its legs rather than its wings, 

 though these are not at all deficient in size or strength. 

 On level ground it glides along with marvelous celerity, 

 and makes good progress over the most rocky and 

 difficult places. As a consequence, it is rather diffi- 

 cult to shoot fairly, though it may be 'potted' in great 

 style by one so disposed; and it will probably require 

 several generations in training before it can be taught 

 to lie well to a dog. I am inclined to think, indeed, 



