20 QUAILOLOGY - ORNITHOLOGY 



Partridge. They are easily trapped in the fall and winter and 

 many are caught by the natives and taken to the markets of the 

 larger towns of New Mexico and Arizona." (a) 



Their food consists of small seeds, grain, berries of various 

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



CHESTNUT-BELLiED SCALED PARTRIDGE 



Callipepla squamata eastanogastris. ( Brewst. ) 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern Mexico and Lower Kio Grande of Texas. 



Sp. Chae. Easily distinguished from the C. squamata, being a much 

 richer and darker colored bird; a sub-species. 



NESTS AND EGGS 



Mating and nesting season somewhat earlier than the preced- 

 ing species. Complete complements of eggs are reported from 

 March 11th to July 10th. Two broods are unquestionably raised 

 in a season, ranging from ten to twenty-three each, average 

 fifteen. The eggs resemble those of the Scaled Partridge, but 

 are lighter in color and more thinly marked. 



HABITS 



General habits and food similar to that of the preceding species. 



It appears to inhabit the low lands along the valley of the Rio 



Grande while the Scaled Partridge is confined to the table lands. 



CALIFORNIA PARTRIDGE 



Callipepla californica (Shaw. ) 



Geog. Dist.— Coast region of California south to Monterey. Introduced in 

 Oregon, Washington, and Vancouver Island, B. G. 



Sp. Char. Male. With a small white line from bill to eye; forehead 

 whitish with black lines; occiput smoky-brown; nuchal and cervical feathers 

 with very dark edging and shaft-lines, and fine whitish speckling. General 

 color of upper parts ashy, with strong olive-brown gloss, the edging of the 

 inner quills brownish-orange. Fore breast slaty-blue; other under parts 

 tawny, deepening centrally into rich golden-brown or orange-chestnut all 

 the feathers sharply edged with jet-black; sides olive-ashy like the back 

 with sharp white stripes; vent, flanks, and crissum tawny with dark stripes- 

 Length 10.00-11.00; wing 4.25; tail 3.75; tarsus 1.25; middle toe and claw 

 rather more. Besides lacking the definite h'ead-markingg, the Female wants 

 the rich sienna color of the under parts, which are whitish or tawny with 

 black semicirc les as in the male, the breast is olive-gray, (f) 

 (a) Bendire's Works. 

 t Coues Key to North American Birds. 



