The California Quail 313 



tion to it, given mth the same notes, but with a very different accent, that 

 sounds like ^'ku-ku-kuJ" with the accent strongly on the second note, and the 

 last note faint. This means some sort of warning to the flock. It is not the 

 real danger signal, but is a sort of notice from the lookouts to be on guard, and, 

 after a flock has been scattered, is used as well for a call signal to collect again, 

 separated birds calling to each other from quite a distance. 



The real danger signal is very different, and sounds like dst-dst-dst, (drawing 

 M^ the air or breath). Both male and female repeat this very rapidly several 

 times with a falling inflection, and when this danger call is sounded ex- 

 citedly, the whole flock rims to cover. There is also a sort of twittering 

 that the Quail make, either after a flock has been scattered and is collecting 

 again, or in the early mornings when the birds come down, from the night's 

 roost, and are getting together and deciding where they will have their 

 breakfast. This is a subdued but very pleasant sound, and seems to be in the 

 way of friendly greeting. 



In the nesting season the male also utters a single call, which is like the last 

 note of the crowing call, first mentioned. In early spring the Quail are to be 

 found mostly in pairs. Later, when the nesting season commences, the male 

 takes his stand upon bush, rock, stump, post, or any good vantage point, 

 and gives voice to this single call, repeated at frequent intervals and loud 

 enough to be heard quite a distance. \\Tiether this note is one of encourage- 

 ment to his sitting spouse, or whether given to show how good it feels to be 

 alive in the springtime, we cannot know; but in our California spring it is a 

 most characteristic sound. 



A Quail's nest, if it may be so called, is a most interesting sight. Usually 



it is but a mere hoUoM' in the ground, perhaps udth a little dried grass, or a 



ver}^ few feathers, as an excuse for a lining, with advantage taken 



Nest of a stone, shrub, or tuft of grass to help conceal it. It is seldom 



found, except when the startled mother flies up from almost 



under one's feet when one nearly steps on her. 



The nimaber of eggs varies greatly, and sometimes there are so many that 

 the little hollow is almost overflowing "with them. As high as thirty-one have 

 been found in a nest by the writer, but the usual munber is from 

 Eggs fifteen to twenty. It seems as if there must be more than one 



bird la}Tng, in the case of the very large sets, and it is often eas}'" 

 to separate a set into two or three distinct t}^es of marking and shades, indi- 

 cating that different females were responsible for the different t^q^es of eggs. 

 The groundwork of the eggs is of a cream}' white, while the markings are 

 irregular spots and blotches of a color from old gold to brown. Some eggs are 

 hea\dly marked, while others are nearly white. It is a very singular thing 

 that if the eggs are distmrbed by a person — even if only touched by one finger — 

 the nest is ahnost always deserted. One may step within a few inches of a nest 

 and frighten the bird away, not only once but several times, and still the bird 



