122 GALLINACEOUS BIRDS— PARTRIDGES 



or mammal; yet they found it to succeed so well against 

 their chief persecutor, that he has had to call in the aid 

 of a sharper sighted, sharper-nosed brute than himself, 

 else he might stumble over stubble-fields all day with- 

 out seeing a bird except by accident. I presume that 

 Virginia quail in the days of Captain Smith and Poca- 

 hontas were very much in the social status of the 

 Oregonians to-day ; and those certainly trust to their 

 legs and wings rather than to the artifice of thrusting 

 their heads in a tussock of grass and then fancying 

 they are safe." . . . "It will probably require sev- 

 eral generations in training before the blue or scaled 

 partridge of the Southwest, which now trusts to its 

 legs rather than its wings, and glides along with mar- 

 vellous celerity, can be taught to lie well to the dog." 



A mixed bag is attractive, and an opportunity is here 

 presented to some of the Southern clubs and to gentle- 

 men owning private preserves, to give not only the 

 blue partridge, but the California and Gambel's par- 

 tridge also, some lessons in lying to the dogs. Having 

 seen those birds go, afoot, I am prepared to say the 

 lessons, if successful, would make them better birds. 



As I have said, efforts to introduce Bob-white into 

 Arizona have not been so far very successful. A few 

 hogs introduced at the same time with Bob-white 

 would aid the birds, in my opinion, in that land of 

 snakes and reptiles. The habit of " lying close " 

 would certainly not work well with snakes. 



Partridges when disturbed, as I have observed, at 

 once fly to the nearest cover, and there, though well 

 scattered, the dogs point them one by one. The 

 shooting at scattered birds in the woods is in my opin- 



