THE BOB-WHITE AND CALIFORNIA “QUAILS” 
243 
as human food an eminent New York physician, 
Dr. Robert T. Morris, pronounces it unwhole- 
some and dangerous. In flavor, cold-storage 
Quail is far inferior to fresh chicken or turkey. 
In a court of law, a cooked Quail can easily be 
identified from squab, reed-bird, “rail-bird” 
and many others by the fact that the meat on 
its breast is white, while all the others wear dark 
meat. 
The California Mountain “Quail,” or 
Mountain Partridge , 1 is a bird of most pleas- 
ing appearance, which inhabits California, Ore- 
gon and Washington. Wherever protected it is 
spreading rapidly in the settled portions of the 
Northwest. It loves moist regions, wherein the 
rainfall is abundant. This is the bird with a 
black throat, a white crescent running down 
from the eye, two rows of white markings on 
each side, and a long, drooping plume on its 
head running back on the same curve as the 
forehead. This bird goes in small flocks, of ten 
to twenty, hides well, and is not easily flushed 
without a dog. 
The Valley “Quail,” or Valley Partridge , 2 is 
the bird of the Pacific coast which has the very 
jaunty, erect black plume, rising from the top 
of its head and gracefully curving forward. Its 
color markings are rich and beautiful, but not 
gaudy, and in form as well as color, it is very 
handsome. In fact, it is the most beautiful of 
all our small upland game-birds. It inhabits 
Oregon, Nevada, the whole of California and the 
Lower California peninsula, and in some places 
ascends the mountains to 9,000 feet. It has been 
acclimatized in Utah, and there are many other 
localities in which it might well be introduced. 
This partridge is the most widely distributed 
and frequently seen game-bird in California, not 
only in the mountains, but also in the cultivated 
valleys, everywhere, and even in Golden Gate 
Park, San Francisco. It breeds readily in con- 
finement in the New York Zoological Park, and 
when safe from rats is not difficult to keep. 
The Mearns’ Partridge , 3 of Mexico, western 
Texas and southern New Mexico and Arizona, 
must be mentioned because it is too odd and 
1 Or-e-or'tyx pic’tus. Average length, 11 inches. 
3 Lo-phor'tyx calif ornicus. Average length, 9 
inches. 
3 Cyr-to'nyx mon-te-zu'mae mearnsi. Average 
length, 8.50 inches. 
striking in appearance to be ignored. It may 
be known by the numerous large white spots on 
the sides of its body just below the wings, and 
its harlequin head of black and white bars and 
collars. It is of great interest to Americans re- 
siding in Mexico, and many attempts have been 
made to acclimatize it in captivity in the United 
States. I once had in my possession two of these 
birds whose white spots had been artificially 
changed by some enterprising Mexican to a beau- 
tiful golden-yellow color. Until the trick was 
discovered, the birds were quite a puzzle, for the 
CALIFORNIA VALLEY PARTRIDGE. 
fact that they had been dyed was not proven 
until they moulted. 
The Ruffed Grouse 4 is the dandy of Ameri- 
can game-birds. In various places it is called 
by various names, some of which are mischiev- 
ously confusing. By many persons it is called a 
“Pheasant,” and by others a “Partridge”; 
but both these names are entirely incorrect, and 
when applied to this bird create confusion. Of- 
ten it is impossible to converse understandingly 
about this bird without first defining boundaries, 
and coming to an agreement regarding the names 
“Pheasant” and “Partridge.” Now that a 
real pheasant (the ring-necked) has been intro- 
duced from China into many portions of the 
United States, it is all the more imperative that 
4 Bo-na'sa uin-bel'lus. Average length, 16 inches. 
