476 



NORTH AMERICAN UlRDS. 



3U3S £ 



n short ilistuiice l)ehin(l by black, boundocl antoriorly and supfriorly by wliito, of which 

 color is a short line behind the eye. Posterior half of the lioily beneath while; a lai;,'(! 



central patch anteriorly (liifurcat- 

 inf; behind), wilh the Hanks and 

 til)ial featliers, orange chestnut- 

 brown ; the siilcs of body showiuj^ 

 black anil white bands, the former 

 color tinged with chcstnnt. L'n- 

 der tail-coverts black, streaked 

 with orange-chcstnnt. Ui)per 

 tertials margined internally with 

 whitish. Feinulf dilfering only 

 in .-ilightly shorter crest. Length, 

 10.51) ; wing, ;'>.0t) ; tail, :!.'J5. Jav. 

 Body, generally, pale brown, the feathers of the upper ])arls minutely barred with darker, 

 and with medial shaft-streaks of blackish ; lower uinagc; plain brown. JJrcast clear 

 ashy, presenting a well-defined area. Head pale bi .vn, similar to, but lighter than, the 

 body, with a conspicuous vertical and lateral (auricular) broad slri]ie of dark umber- 

 brown. Featlans of the flanks blackish, liroadly bonlered with dingy whitish. A .short 

 truncated tul't of hair-lik'3 featliers on the crown. (Described from figures in Gr.iyson's 

 plate.) 



IIab. ilountain-rauges of California and Oregon towards the coast. Nevada (eastern 

 slope and foot-hills of the Siena Nevada; RihowayJ. 



There are two ([uite difVeveiit raco.s of this species, Imt which, however, 

 pass gradually into each other, and must l)e considered as merely the 

 extremes of one species. They may Ije defined as follows : — 



1. Var. pirtus. Pure ash conlined to the pectoral region; the russet- 

 brown or rusty-olivaceous of the upper parts covering whole neck and 

 crown; forehead entirely ashy. ^. Wing, 0.25 ; tarsus shorter than miiMle 

 toe (1.27; middle toe, l.;5(1). Hab. Washington Territory, Oregon, and 



upper coast region of California. "* 



2. Var. }> I II in if ems. Pure ash covering whole pectoral region, and 

 crown, nape, and upper part of back ; the grayish-olivaceous above conlined 

 to the pos.erior parts. Forehead distinctly whitish. Wing, 5.25 ; tarsus 

 longer than middle toe (1.27 ; middle toe, 1.25). Hab. Sierra Nevada, 

 and Southern California to Cape St. Lucas. 



H.^iUTs. The Mountain Quail of California is said by Dr. Newberry to 

 be similar in some respects to the common Partridge of Europe. It is no- 

 where very common, but occurs sjiaringly throughout the entire length of 

 California and (,)regon to at least the Columbia, and jirobably beyond it, 

 having much the same rangt; witli the mlifnrnicv:^, thougli everywhere a 

 rarer bird, and always confined to the hills and mountains. Its habits are 

 similar to those of the other s])e('ies of tliis family, but it is less gregtirious, 

 and is more .shy. It is usually found in the chaparral, whore it is ]nit up 

 with difficulty, as it seeks safety by running on the ground rather than by 

 flight. On tile first of August, at the base of Lassen's Butte, I )r. Newberry 

 found a solitary hen with a brood of very young chicks. The brood scattered 

 like young Partridges, uttering a piping note like that of young chickens. 



