514 GAME BIMDS OF CALIFORNIA 



darker, and, in both sexes, extending farther forward onto hind neck. In 

 juvenile plumage, the differences are more clearly apparent, and consist in a 

 greater amount of brown in the mixed pattern on the upper surface. 



Marks for field identification — See under Mountain Quail. 



General distribution — Humid coast belt of Washington and Oregon (west 

 of the Cascades), and of northern California south, more restrictedly, as far as 

 Monterey County. 



Distribution in California — Common resident in parts of the narrow 

 humid coast belt, from Humboldt County south to Sonoma County; also spar- 

 ingly south of San Francisco Bay in the Santa Cruz Mountains (McGregor, 

 1901, p. 5), and in the coast ranges of Monterey County south to Big Creek (Jen- 

 kins, 1906, p. 125) ; ranges east at the north as far as Helena, Trinity County 

 (Kellogg, 1911, p. 119). Specimens from the inner coast ranges west of the 

 Sacramento Valley and from Monterey County are apparently intermediate 

 towards the interior race, 0. p. plumifera. 



General information concerning the Painted Quail has been 

 included under the account of the Mountain Quail. 



Valley Quail 



Lophortyx calif ornica valUcola (Ridgway) 



Other names — Valley Partridge; California Partridge, part; Helmet Quail; 

 Topknot Quail; Crested Quail; Tufted Quail; Brown-backed Valley Quail; 

 CaUipepla calif ornica, part; Ortyx calif ornica, part; Lophortyx calif ornica, part; 

 Ferdix calif ornica; CaUipepla calif ornica vallicola. 



Description — Adult male: Head with black, forward-drooping topknot of 

 six overlapping, broad-ended feathers; feathers of forehead buffy yellow with black 

 shafts, this area bounded behind by a double band, of white and of black, the 

 ends of which band continue back on each side of head over eye to a position 

 behind ear; back of head dull brown; chin and throat velvety black, bordered 

 by a U-shaped band of white which ends on each side just back of eye; 

 feathers of a broad area around hind neck bluish gray, each one margined 

 with a double scallop of black, and many of them with subterminal white 

 spots, the whole giving a scaled appearance; iris dark brown; bill black; 

 back, scapulars and outer surface of closed wing, grayish brown in fall, paling 

 to bluish gray in spring; rump and tail clear bluish gray; buffy white stripe 

 along inner margin of each wing formed by broad edgings on overlapping 

 series of innermost flight feathers; secondaries and coverts narrowly edged 

 with buffy white; under surface of wing and axillars grayish brown; a broad 

 area across breast clear bluish gray; behind this a buffy area, and then one of 

 reddish brown, centrally, white towards sides, the feathers in both these areas 

 being sharply scaled with black; feathers of sides brownish gray, each with 

 a shaft stripe of white; lower belly, flanks and under tail coverts, light buff, 

 the latter two areas broadly streaked with brown; legs and feet blackish. 

 Total length 10.25-11.00 inches (260-270 mm.) (ten specimens); folded wing 

 4.24-4.44 (107.8-112.7); bill (tip to cere) 0.37-0.43 (9.5-10.9); tarsus 1.17-1.28 

 (29.7-32.4) (ten specimens). Adult female: Somewhat similar to male but 

 lighter in general tone, lacking the conspicuous black and white markings 

 of head, as also the buffy and reddish brown ground-color of under surface; 

 topknot much shorter, and dark brown in color; general color of head light 



