140 NESTS AND EGGS OP 



The eggs of this species are most beautifully marked on a creamy- 

 white ground with scattered spots and blotches of old gold, and some- 

 times light drab and chestnut-red. In a large series of specimens sent 

 me by Mr. Arnold Boyle, collected in the vicinity of Banning, Cali- 

 fornia, there is a striking variation in this respect. In some speci- 

 mens the gold coloring is so pronounced that it strongly suggests to 

 the imagination that this Quail feeds upon the grains of the precious 

 metal which characterizes its home, and that the pigment thereof is 

 imparted to the eggs. The number laid ranges from eight to twenty- 

 four. In shape they are like those of the Bob-white. Ten selected 

 eggs measure 1.13 x .90, 1.18 x .93, 1.19 x .93, 1.19 x .94, 1.23 x .90, 1.27 

 X.96, 1.30 X. 95, 1.32 X. 95, 133 X. 97, 1.35 X. 94. The average size is 



1.23 X .94. 



294a. Callipepla californica vallicola Ridgw. 



Valley Partridge. 



Hab. Interior regions of California and Oregon, south to Cape St. Lucas. 



This variety, which is very similar to the last species, is common 

 to the interior valleys and foot-hills of the Pacific Province. There is 

 essentially no difference between the eggs of this bird and those of 

 C. californica. 



295. Callipepla gambeli (Nutt.) [483.] 



Gambel's Partridge. 



Hab. Northwestern Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, Southern Utah and Western Texas. 



A characteristic game bird of Arizona and New Mexico ; abundant 

 on mountains and in valleys. It is found as far east as Western Texas, 

 west to the Colorado River, north to Southern Utah. In Texas it is 

 replaced by the Massena Quail. Mr. W. E. D. Scott found it distrib- 

 uted throughout the entire Catalina region in Arizona below an altitude 

 of 5,000 feet. By the middle of April, on the San Pedro slope of the 

 Catalina mountains most of the birds are paired, and breeding has fairly 

 begun. About Tucson the breeding season begins from three weeks 

 to one month earlier.* This bird is also known as the Arizona Quail. 



The nest is like that of any other partridge, placed on the ground, 

 sometimes without any lining. The eggs are from eight to sixteen in 

 number and they do not differ from those of the C. califorjiica. The 

 average size of thirty specimens is 1.27 x .98. 



296. Cyrtonyx montezumse (Vig.) [485.] 



Massena Partridge. 



Hab. Western and Central Mexico, from Mazatlan and Valley of Mexico north to Western Texas, 

 New Mexico and Arizona. 



In Arizona this bird is known as " Fool Quail" or " Fool Hen." 

 Mr. Scott mentions finding it common in the evergreen oak region of 



*Auk. Vol. Ill, p. 388-389. 



