CALLIPEPLA. 291 



Eah. North America, New Mexico » i^ Arizona s lo, Centr. and W. Texas « lo 12^ Lower 

 Kio Grande Valley is 2i._Mexico ^ 2 4 (2)„^^s u^ £« i^g^g 15 le^ p^^^ n^^ San Pedro, 

 Bisbee, Sonora (BobineUe''), Chupadero, and San Diego, Chihuahua (Lloyd ^% 

 Durango ( Grayson^), Nuevo Leon ( Couch ^, Brewster i®), Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas 

 (Armstrong 21), Plains of San Luis Potosi (Richardson i^}, Guanajuato (Bug^s 1*}, 

 Guadalajara, Jalisco, Ahualulco (Jouy % Valley of Mexico (Herrera ^), near the 

 city of Mexico (Sumichrast ^ ^^). 



Bendire ^ states that in North America the Scaled Partridge is also known as the Blue 

 Quail or AVhite Top-knot Quail, and is found abundantly on the plateaux bordering 

 the principal streams, ranging from an altitude of about 1500 to nearly 7000 feet. In 

 Southern Arizona it avoids the timbered country, preferring the most barren and dry 

 portions of that scantily watered territory, and frequenting the foot-hills and mesas a 

 few miles from the river-beds, which are generally dry for the greater part of the year. 

 The coveys love the sandy tableland, and spend much of their time in taking sand- 

 baths and pecking and chasing one another like a brood of young chickens. Though 

 often met with far from water, they regularly visit the streams, often travelling several 

 miles to drink. Owing to the barren nature of the country they generally frequent, 

 this bird is comparatively little hunted, but is nevertheless exceedingly shy and wary. 

 It is difficult to flush, and when disturbed trusts almost entirely to its legs as a means 

 of escape, running very rapidly through the bushes and vegetation. If flushed, the 

 toveys scatter in difi"erent directions, and after flying a short distance, again commence 

 to run. As soon as the alarm is over, the old birds reassemble the flock by whistling 

 a low call-note. Towards the end of the summer and in autumn they are generally 

 found in packs containing several broods, and as many as sixty or eighty individuals 

 may sometimes be seen together, often associating with Gambel's Quail ; they are 

 easily trapped in autumn and winter, and many are caught by the natives and taken to 

 the markets of the larger towns. 



The nest is placed on the ground among very varied surroundings — cultivated fields, 

 meadows, or barren flats being generally selected. The eggs vary from nine to sixteen 

 in number, and are pale creamy-bufi", finely dotted and spotted all over with reddish or 

 purplish-brown. 



Mr. Dwight ^^ gives an interesting account of the early stages and moults of the 

 Scaled Partridge, his facts being gathered from an examination of a very large number 

 of specimens. 



The race called C. castaneiventer differs from typical C. squamata in having the 

 general colour of the middle feathers of the breast and belly deeper buff or ochraceous 

 in both sexes : the male has a dark reddish-chestnut patch on the belly, this patch 

 being sometimes found in the female also. The mating- and nesting-season of this 

 race are said to commence somewhat earlier than is the case with C. squamata. 



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