The Mountain Quails 



forest. Some damage they undoubtedly do, just as chickens would, but 

 it is to be suspected that those who complain most bitterly of the "devas- 

 tations" wrought by this fowl are seeking cover for their practice, all too 

 frequent, of potting these luscious birds out of season. 



Fecundity is another trait of this hardy fowl. The birds are polyga- 

 mous, and the cock is prepared to fight for the possession of the largest 

 possible harem. The females raise two or three broods in a season, but 

 not content with this, the amorous cocks seek alliance with native and 

 domestic species. Hybrids formed by the crossing of China Pheasants 

 and Sooty Grouse are not infrequent, and the introduction of wild blood 

 into the farmyard results in interesting and not unprofitable forms. 



Cock Pheasants crow somewhat after the fashion of Chanticleer, 

 producing a sort of double explosive sound, squawk-squawk, accompanied 

 by a vigorous clapping of wings. They are sure to crow immediately upon 

 hearing thunder; and once, in Owens Valley, near Independence, after a 

 particularly sharp clap of thunder I could trace the course of the aqueduct 

 (open at this place) by the successive squawks of the Pheasants stationed 

 along its course. In the North I have heard the neighboring pheasants 

 crow simultaneously when a blast of Hercules powder "let go" under a 

 stump. 



No. 312 



Mountain Quail 



A. O. U. No. 292. Oreortyx picta picta (Douglas). 



Synonyms. — Painted Quail. Northern Mountain Quail. 



Description. — Adults: A greatly lengthened crest of two superimposed, 

 very narrow, black feathers (of which the lower usually much shorter); foreparts in gen- 

 eral, including breast, broadly slaty gray (Payne's gray, nearly) changing on nape and 

 sides of lower neck to bright olive-brown (dresden brown) of back, wings, and tail; 

 throat chestnut (claret-brown), bordered sharply on sides by line of black continuous to 

 eye; this in turn by narrow band of white; forehead ashy, region about base of bill, 

 narrowly, white; lower middle of belly, narrowly, buffy; remainder of belly, broadly, 

 lower sides, and flanks, rich chestnut (claret-brown), interrupted on sides of belly by a 

 longitudinal series of bold broadly scaled black and white bars, somewhat variable as to 

 width and admixture with chestnut; crissum black, faintly touched with chestnut; 

 inner secondaries and tertials broadly edged with white on the inner webs (usually 

 tinged somewhat with buffy or tawny), forming a conspicuous lengthwise border on 

 folded wing. Bill dusky, paling below; feet dull brownish. Females are less exten- 

 sively chestnut below and have crests averaging a little shorter than those of males. 

 Near adult: Olive-brown of upperparts paler and duller, the feathers faintly edged 

 with whitish. Immature (4 to 6 weeks old?): Upper plumage extensively and finely 

 mottled with shades of brown and dusky (suggesting Bonasine affinities), the half- 

 grown crest touched with brown terminally; chin white, the sides of throat broadly 



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