136 GALLINACEOUS BIRDS— PARTRIDGES 



it stood for all that was good in a game bird. The 

 mountain and valley partridges of California, the 

 Gambel's and the scaled-partridge of the Southwest 

 are, as we have seen, great runners and most exaspera- 

 ting to well-trained dogs. Unless the Massena proves 

 to be of some account we have only one real good 

 partridge in America. 



Our early information as to the Massena came from 

 officers of the army who were stationed in the South- 

 west. Colonel McCall first reported it in 1851 as fair- 

 ly abundant from the San Pedro to the Rio Pecos, and 

 says it was always quite confiding, and he was inclined 

 to think that with little difficulty it might be domesti- 

 cated. 



Kennerly says he has often known Mexican soldiers 

 to kill them with their lances. Elliot says it is often 

 called a fool quail, on account of its confiding dispo- 

 sition. 



All the writers I am familiar with, excepting a re- 

 cent correspondent of the Sportsman s Review, describe 

 the bird as very tame and confiding and not inclined 

 to run like the other Western birds, but their opin- 

 ions are at variance with this recent correspondent. I 

 do not know his name and the editor of the Review 

 writes that he cannot now give it to me. 



The Massena is about the same in size as the other 

 partridges, but it is easily distinguished by the white 

 spots which cause it to resemble a small guinea-hen. 



It is nowhere found in any numbers, and a natural- 

 ist of my acquaintance, who visited its habitat in the 

 hopes of securing specimens, returned without a bird. 



