THE SCALED PAETEIDGE. ^1 



ried or chased by a Hawk. The young utter a plaintive "peep-peep," very 

 much like young chickens. Like the rest of the Partridge tribe they are 

 able to run about as soon as hatched. 



Mr. W. H. Cobb, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, informs me "that in this 

 part of the Territory this species is a soii of semi-migrant. The greater por- 

 tion of the birds move to the higher mesas and foothills of the mountains to 

 breed, and during the cold weather return to the river bottoms where, in favor- 

 able localities, a few remain throughout the year." 



Mr. W. E. D. Scott found this species in great abundance in a little val- 

 ley west of the Santa Catalina Mountains, which the road from old Camp 

 Grant to Tucson, Arizona, crosses. Here, he says, they associated with Gam- 

 bel's Quail, apparently on the most friendly terms. 



The number of eggs to a set ranges usually from nine to sixteen, gen- 

 erally about eleven or twelve, and an egg is deposited daily. Occasionally 

 a larger set is found. The shells of these eggs are very thick and without 

 lustre. The ground color varies from a very pale creamy white to a pale 

 buff. The markings are sharp and well defined in most cases, varying from 

 mere pin points, scai'cely perceptible to the naked eye, to the size of No. 12 

 shot. These spots are usually round and of equal size, and pretty evenly 

 distributed over the entire eg*g. Occasionally a set is marked with some- 

 what more irregular, as well as larger, spots or blotches, resembling certain 

 tji'pes of eggs of GaUipepla gamheli, but these markings are always paler col- 

 ored and not so pronounced. They vary in color from a pale reddish brown 

 or ochraceous to a vinaceous buff and fawn color in different sets. 



The average measurement of twent-^ -eight specimens in the U. S. National 

 Museum collection is 32.5 by 26 millimetres ; the largest eg'g of the series 

 measuring 34 by 27, the smallest 30.5 by 25 millimetres. In shape they vary 

 from short ovate to subpyi-iform. 



As there is practically no difference in the eggs of this species and of 

 the Chestnut-bellied Scaled Partridge, the eggs figured as typical of the latter 

 would also answer for the present species under consideration. If there is 

 any difference it seems to be in size only, and even this is doubtful. 



The type specimen, No. 23165 (PI. 1, Fig. 4), selected from an incomplete 

 set of six eggs, was collected by First Lieut. H. C. Benson, Fourth Cavalry, 

 U. S. Army, near Fort Huachuca, Arizona, August 6, 1886, and represents one 

 of the palest colored eggs of the series. 



No. 23776 (PI. 1, Fig. 5), from a set of twelve eggs collected by Lieut. M. 

 H. Barnum, Third Cavalry, U. S. Army, near Marathon, Texas, June 22, 1889, 

 represents one of the heavier marked eggs of this species, and the remaining 

 two types figured under the next subspecies are still better marked and repre- 

 sent the extremes. 



