I'KUDICID.I-; TIIK l'Ain'l!ll)(il'>'. 4;(.-, 



{'a])tiiiii S. (1. Fn-iicli, citiMl liy Mi. ('iissin. iiu'iitions inootin.u witli tliis 

 Piirtridf^c in tlio simiiiu'r of lS4(i, wlicii mpssiiii; \\\c tiililci-liimls tlmt cxtciKl 

 wcstwanily Iroiii San Aiitmiio, in Tt'xas, lu New .Mexico. On tlio sides 

 of a higli rocky mountain near tlic siininiit, lie oliserved several of tlien; 

 only a fi'W (wl in advance of liini. 'i'liey were innnin^ alonj;' over llu! 

 fra,muenls of rttcks and tliroii^li llie dwaii Imslics wliicli yrew wherever 

 then' was snilieient soil, lie was attracted iiy their handsome ])lnmaLi;e and 

 their extreme neiitlcness. A few days after, when encam])e(l <ni tho head- 

 waters of the river, he niin'm met with a covey, and from that point occa- 

 sionally encountered them on tlie route to the I'ecos Ifiver, a distance of 

 over a inindred miles, lie did not meet with them auain until he came to 

 Kai,'le Sprinji's, in a mountainous region ahout twenty-live miles from tlie 

 l{io (irande. In the spring- of l-Sf)!, on tlu^ sanu' r(aite, lie saw only two of 

 these birds, and was led to the belief that tiiey niv not at all niiiuerous. 

 They appeared to inlialiit the rocky sides of the iiKainlains and hills, in the 

 desolate rej^ion of elevated idains west of the fertile jiortioiis of Texas. In 

 no instance did he meet with any .of these birds near the settlements. 

 Wild and rocky hillsides seemed to be their favorite resort, where trees 

 were almost unknown and all vegetation was very scant. The coveys 

 showed lait little alarm on beinj;' approached, and ran alon.n over the rocks, 

 occasionally attemptin.i; to secrete themselves beneath them. In this case 

 they could lie aiijiroaclKHl to within a few feet When startled by the tiring 

 of a <i\\n, they tly but a lev,- yards bel'ore a,tj;ain aliglitin,y, and exhibit but 

 little of that wildiiess jieculiar to all tlie other species of Parlridue. The 

 contents of the croji in ("aptain Krenchs specimens consisted exclusively of 

 frannuMits (A' insects, jti'iiicijially urasshojipers. Xo trace whatever of food 

 of a ve,u(!table character was found. 



Don I'alilo tie la T-lave, (juoti'd by Mr. Cassin, furnishes the followinu; ac- 

 count of the habits of th s Partridge, observed by him in specimens taken 

 near the city of Mexico. 



"It is only a few days since the third s]wcies has been brought to me. It 

 is rather smaller than the l'orni(!r (T. .vy/zfo/;*'/"), and its deportment is en- 

 tirely dilferent. It carries its head habitually resting on its shoulders, the 

 neck being excessively .small and deilexed, and in everything it shows an 

 amiability, and, so to speak, kindness of character {inid hn/ii/iii/ dc mrnr/i r), 

 which is not found in any other species of this genus, and it is naturally so 

 tame and domestic as to i>ermit itself to be ciiught witli the hand. These 

 birds are always united, forming a covey, and whenever one is sejiarated the 

 others follow it. They do not, like others, wi.sh to sleep tin elevatetl i)laccs, 

 but sit on the grtiund, tlrawing very near ttigether. Their ntites, which are 

 not varietl, are very low and soft, ami I have never heanl loud cries from 

 the male. When they are frightened they shtiw much activity and swift- 

 ness ; at other times theii- gait and movement are habitually slow and ilelib- 

 erate, carrying the crest pulled u]) {fxpanadu)," 



