390 Quail and Grouse of the Pacific Coast 



breeding could not be determined. Finally, one 

 disappeared, and after looking lonely and sad for' 

 a few weeks the other disappeared. As chickens 

 were vanishing in the meantime, via the fox, coyote, 

 and wildcat, there is no reason to believe that the 

 quails left because weary of captivity. 



It is commonly said that this quail is of fine 

 flavor. It is dry and insipid compared to Bob- 

 white. This still leaves considerable margin for 

 excellence, and in the hands of a cook who knows 

 something besides those cabalistic words " quail on 

 toast " a very good dish may be made of it. But 

 slowly desiccated on one side of the fire and then 

 laid out on a bit of toast slowly desiccated on the 

 other side, in California style, it is the most ridicu- 

 lous combination I know of. It is the same with 

 the other quails, and even in northern Mexico I 

 have found the blue quail the same way. One can 

 live on them a long time without cloying, and the 

 question of a quail a day for thirty days has no 

 application to these birds. 



The mountain-quail cannot be classed among 

 the birds that are regularly hunted like the valley- 

 quail. Its pursuit is more accidental, as it is rarely 

 plenty enough to justify a special trip. Though 

 it breeds in the same numbers as the valley-quail, 

 and apparently has fewer enemies, it is scarce com- 

 pared with it, while it is so wild and slippery in 

 most places that it should be very plenty to give 



