218 DR. GAMBEL ON THE BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA. 



Small flocks of this noble pidgeon frequent the woods of California during winter, 

 but are extremely shy. 



114. C. CAROLiNENSis, Liun. Common Turtle Dove. 



We found this species breeding on the prairies near the rivers Arkansaw and 

 Cimaron, in June, forming their nests on the ground at the foot of large tufts of 

 grass. It is common about Santa Fe, and was occasionally seen by us on the road 

 to California, where it is a constant denizen of the vineyards and orchards. 



CALLIPEPLA, Wogkr. 



115. C. CALiFORNiCA, Gould. Califomian Crested Quail. 



Perdix calif ornica, Lath. 



This beautiful bird is extremely abundant throughout California ; in the winter 

 season congregating in large flocks, sometimes of as many as a thousand or more, in 

 those places where there are woods enough to afford covert for so many. They also 

 resort to the bushy plains and ravines of the bills. Displaying all the watchfulness 

 of our Virginian Quail, they are even more swift of foot, eluding pursuit by running 

 and hiding with surprising speed ; but upon sudden alarm, are more apt to fly into 

 the trees, where they lie close upon the horizontal branches like so many squirrels, 

 which added to their colour, resembling somewhat the bark, renders them difficult to 

 be seen. They are exceedingly graceful in their deportment, and when running 

 have the crest elevated and thrown backwards, but when at rest, walking on the 

 ground or over piles of brush, carry it curved forward overhanging the front. 



The nest is formed upon the ground at the foot of a tree, or under cover of a bush. 

 The number of eggs is sometimes very great, as in the instance of one which I found 

 at Monterey, July 20th. It was a shallow hole scratched in the ground at the foot of 

 an oak tree, with a few blades of dried grass around the sides but bare at the bottom, 

 and contained twenty-four eggs! I judged from the appearance of them, that two 

 birds had laid in the same nest, as fifteen of them were of a different shade from the 

 others. 



116. C. DouGLASSii, Gamb. Douglas' Crested Quail. 



Ortyx Douglassii, Vigors. Trans, of the Linn. Soc. of London, vol. xvi. p. 



145. Zool. Jour. vol. iv. p. 344. Jard. and Selby's 111. Orn. pi. 107. 



Zool. Beechy's Voyage, p. 27, pi. 11. Audubon's Bds. Amer. pi. 418, 

 O. spilogaster, Vigors. Proceed. Zool. Soc. 1832, p. 4. 

 O. elegans, Less. Cent. Zool. pi. 61, p. 189. 

 Callipepla elegans, Gould. Monog. Odont. pi. 



