THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 71 



Monterey county, California. This bird was also introduced on 

 Vancouver island and in the state of Washington. The latter 

 is a native of the higher Cascade range from the Klamath Lake 

 country south through California and east to the mountains of 

 western Nevada. It is somewhat smaller and paler in dress. Since 

 the habits of both birds are identical, they will both be treated 

 as a single species. 



The California Quail may easily be distinguished from the 

 Mountain Quail. It is smaller in size. There is a decided differ- 

 ence in the crest. That of the California Quail is shaped like a 

 comma ; it curves forward and is larger at the upper end. The 

 plume of the Mountain Quail is long and narrow and extends 

 straight back. The throat of the California Quail is black bor- 

 dered by a white line. There is also a white line running across 

 the gray forehead and extending over each eye. The breast is 

 bluish-slate, while the feathers of the belly are white and yellow- 

 ish bordered with dark brown, looking as if the bird were covered 

 with scales rather than feathers. On the center of the belly is 

 a chestnut-red patch. The back is bluish like the breast, but with 

 a brown tinge and the flanks are dark brown streaked with 

 white. The female is duller and of a general slate-brown color, 

 lacking the black and white markings on the head and the chest- 

 nut color on the belly. 



I have known of two or three cases where the California 

 Quail crossed with the Mountain Quail in the wild state. A very 

 interesting hybrid was secured by Mr. George D. Peck on April 1, 

 1911, along the Silvies river, Harney county, about two miles 

 north of Burns. The crest was a curious combination of both 

 birds. It was narrow like that of the Mountain Quail, but curved 

 forward like the crest of the California Quail. The coloring on 

 the body of this bird showed a very even balance of character 

 derived from both birds. In size, it was a little larger than the 

 average California Quail and thus more like the Mountain Quail. 



While on a trip through Wasco county in 1908, I heard a 

 quail call and recognized the note of the Mountain Quail. I crept 

 up closer to where I could get a view of the bird and found it was 

 a California or Valley Quail. It seems in this case the habitat 

 of the two species overlapped and the one had learned the call 

 note of the other. 



