THE MOUNTAIN PARTRIDGE 



( Oreortyx pictus, ) 



The Mountain Partridge, which is and chaparral of dwarf trees of rather 

 also called the Plumed Partridge and inaccessible places on the mountain 

 the Mountain Quail, is common in the sides. They ordinarily seek safety by 

 higher mountain ranges of California 'running ratheu than by flight. Dr. 

 and Oregon. In the Sierra Nevada Brewer states that Dr. Heermann found 

 range they are frequent in summer to the birds of this species wild and difficult 

 an altitude of seven thousand feet, to procure, flying and scattering at the 

 where Mr. J. G. Cooper found them in least symptom of danger, and again call- 

 the month of September. He found the ing each other together with a note 

 young not quite full grown and the expressive of great solicitude, much 

 old birds moulting. In their habits and resembling that of a hen-turkey gather- 

 in their flight these Partridges resemble ing her brood around her." Dr. Brewer 

 other quails but they are less gregarious, also states that : ''When a flock is 

 The flocks seldom contain more than startled, they utter a confused duckling 

 from ten to twenty individuals. Mr. note, something like that of the common 

 Cooper says: "Their note of alarm is eastern quail. The male has a very 

 a rather faint chirp, scarcely warning pleasant crowing-note, which sounds 

 the sportsman of their presence before some like koo-koo-kooe.'' 

 they fly. They scatter in all directions The Mountain Partridge is a larger 

 when flushed, and they call each other and more handsome bird than our east- 

 together by a whistle, very much like ern bob-white. The two attractive 

 that of a man calling his dog." The plumes of the adult are about three or 

 mother bird calls and leads her young four inches in length and the spot from 

 brood by a cluck not unlike that of the which they will grow is indicated in the 

 domestic hen. Dr. Newberry once young soon after leaving the egg, as a 

 found a hen with a very young brood tuft of down. It has been claimed that 

 which scattered on noticing him, and these birds do not often nest much below 

 uttered notes not unlike those of young an altitude of four thousand feet. The 

 chickens. When the fear of danger had eggs are laid on a bed of leaves lying 

 passed, the little birds were recalled by on the ground beneath bushes or tufts 

 the clucks of their mother. of grass or weeds. The eggs are said 



The Mountain Partridges are hard to have a very rich cream color which 



to find for they frequent the shrubbery is slighted tinted with a reddish shading. 



BIRD LEGENDS IN RHYME 



THE WOODPECKER 



There is a bird in Norway-land, 

 That the children never will feed; 



Because, they say, it's a wicked bird. 

 For it once did an evil deed. 



47 



