20 LIFE HISTOEIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



The young- are waiy, and crouch in or under the smallest tufts of grass, while 

 the parents remain in full sight. During the middle of the day they frequently 

 alight in trees, usually large oaks, but they roost on the ground at night." 



Mr. A. W. Anthony says: "I think this species, like Callhpepla calif ornka 

 vaUlcola, is largely influenced by the seasons in regard to its nesting, although 

 perliaj)s not to the same extent. In southwestern New Mexico the season of 

 1886 was a very dry one, no rain falling during the spring and but very little 

 during the preceding winter. As a consequence the vegetation of the deserts 

 was unusually scarce. The Scaled Partridges remained in flocks till very late, 

 and in many cases did not break up at all. Young birds were very scarce 

 during the fall, and none were noted, I think, till after August 10. The only 

 nest that came under my notice that season was taken on July 31. It was 

 located on a high, rocky hillside, in a slight hollow between two rocks, and 

 slightly lined with dry grass. A large dead Agave (American aloe) had fallen 

 over the nest, hiding it so effectually that its discovery was accidental, the 

 female being flushed by my brushing against the dry leaves of this plant. 

 It contained eight fresh eggs. I have taken chicks not over two weeks old in 

 Grrant County, New Mexico, as late as October 1 0, while young of the year 

 taken the same day could not be distinguished from the adults by the closest 

 scrutiny." 



I believe two and even three broods are occasionally raised in a season, 

 the male assisting in the care of the young', but not in incubation. This 

 lasts about twenty-one days. Full sets of the eggs of the Scaled Quail have 

 been taken early in April and others late in September. The nest is always 

 placed on the ground, as far as known, usually under the shelter of a yucca 

 or small bush, overgrown with grama grass, and in the Rio Grande Valley, 

 New Mexico, occasionally in a wheatfield. In southern Arizona Mr. O. C. 

 Poling has found the Scaled Partridge nesting in corn and grain fields, in 

 alfalfa meadows and potato patches, as well as on almost barren flats, where 

 only a few scattering bushes but a few inches high grew. Here the nesting 

 season began about May 1, and eggs were found as late as July 15. 



Their food consists of small seeds, grain when procurable, berries of 

 various kinds, the tender tops of plants, small beetles, ants, and grasshoppers. 

 A young female of this species, probably about ten days old, and taken by 

 Ml'. Herbert Brown in Altar Valley, Arizona, September 27, 1885, may be 

 described as follows: Upper parts chestnut-brown, each feather with medial 

 T-shaped white markings. Tail-feathers ashy, barred with alternate pale black 

 and white bars. Upper parts of the breast bufify-grayish, each feather about 

 the neck with a V-shaped lighter area. Belly rusty buff, transversely barred 

 with brown. Sides of head reddish buff, crest brownish, each feather with a 

 narrow medial stripe of white. 



According to Mr. Lloyd their call note sounds something like a lengtli- 

 ened " cliip-churr, chip-churr;" the same, only more rapidly repeated, is also 

 given when alarmed, and a guttural "oom-oom-oom" is uttered when wor- 



