6o 



GAME BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



were indignantly warning the trespasser away from their 

 premises. This race is fond of frequenting thickets, 

 hedge-rows along the cultivated fields, and is naturally 

 tame and of a sociable disposition. This trustful nature, 

 however, is rapidly changed to one of suspicion and alarm 

 after the birds have had a short experience with their great 

 enemy man, and when that is the case his appearance is 

 announced by a sharp note, resembling pip-pip-pip, 

 and the flock is off on a quick run ending, if closely pur- 

 sued, in a short flight and a general scattering all over 

 the locality. As a game bird, to hunt with a dog, they 

 are very unsatisfactory and disappointing, in no way to 

 be compared to the brave little Bob White of the Eastern 

 States. 



LOPHORTYX CALIFORNICUS VALLICOLA. 



Geographical Distribution. — Interior of Oregon, California, 

 and Nevada, East to the Panamint Mountains, South to Cape 

 St. Lucas. 



Adult Male. — In general appearance this bird resembles the 

 California Partridge; the pattern of markings and distribution of 

 colors being almost precisely similar, but there is a consistent 

 variation in the hues themselves; the color and markings of the 

 heads of the two forms are alike, and the crests are the same, 

 but the upper parts of the Valley Partridge are grayish brown, and 

 the inner margins of tertials are white; the belly is white or 

 buflfy white, and the flanks grayish brown; it is altogether a 

 bluer or more grayish blue bird, and much lighter beneath when 

 contrasted with the typical styles; in size it equals the L. cali- 

 fornicus. 



Adult Female. — Forehead, bluish gray; occiput, rusty brown; 

 crest, very short, snuff brown; in the color of the upper parts she 

 resembles the male, and the margins of the tertials are buffy 

 whjte ; throat, brownish white, streaked with darker brown; 

 breast, bluish gray, flanks, same color, streaked with white; lower 

 breast and abdomen, white, the feathers margined with black; 

 under tail-coverts, bronzy brown, margined with pale buff or 



