5© 



GAME BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



appeared to act as a leader, though occasionally in their 

 haste the main body would overtake him, and then for 

 a space they would continue on bunched up all together, 

 gradually straggling out again into a long line. The 

 body was held very erect and stiff while running, the tail 

 almost touching the ground, and the white crest was 

 spread out in a fan shape, showing very conspicuously. 

 This bird runs with great speed, and seems to be able to 

 keep it up for a long distance, and flies with much reluc- 

 tance, alighting almost immediately and beginning to run 

 at once. When compelled to take wing, it rises with the 

 usual whir-r-r, and proceeds on a slightly curved line, 

 rarely straight ahead, and if, on alighting, it should stOp 

 for a moment, it is always under the cover of some cactus 

 or other low bush, which affords a place of concealment, 

 and from which it can watch its pursuer, before starting 

 to run again. 



A dog is practically useless for hunting the Scaled 

 Partridge, for if he is well broken and attempts to point a 

 covey, the birds will run several hundred yards while he 

 is standing, and then will add several hundred more, 

 while he is trailing them, and the poor animal becomes 

 bewildered and disgusted and is apt to run also. I know 

 nothing so trying to the patience of a sportsman as the 

 tactics of this species, unless it be the similar habits of 

 other Crested Quail. As a rule this species was not very 

 much hunted in the localities I met with it, and it always 

 seemed to me rather singular that they should be so 

 wary, for that is an attribute that wild creatures usually 

 acquire after having made the acquaintance of man and 

 learned that his presence always brought wounds and 

 death, and that safety to themselves was only to be ob- 

 tained by leaving his vicinity as soon as possible. But 

 these birds seem instinctively to have ascertained this 



