THE BIRD BOOK 
292b. San Pedro Quail. 
Mountain Partridge Oreortyx picta confinis. 
Scaled Partridge. 
Range. — San Pedro Mountains, Lower California 
This species, which is grayer above than the preceding two, breeds only in 
the highest peaks of its range. Otherwise its nesting habits and eggs are the 
same as the other Plumed Partridges. 
292. Mountain Quail. Oreortyx picta picta. 
Range. — Pacific coast of North America from 
California to Washington. 
This is the largest of the Partridges, being 11 
inches in length. It is of a general grayish color, 
with chestnut throat patch, and chestnut flanks, 
barred with white. 
Two long plumes ex- 
tend downward from 
the back of the head. 
This species nests 
abundantly in the 
mountainous portions 
of northern California 
and throughout Oregon, 
and is gradually in- 
creasing in numbers in 
Washington. As a rule 
they nest only on the 
higher mountain ranges, placing their nest of 
leaves under the protection of an overhanging 
bush or tuft of grass. Their eggs number from 
six to fifteen, and are of a pale reddish buff color. 
Size 1.35 x 1.05. 
292a. Plumed Quail. Oreortyx picta plumi- 
fera. 
Range. — Mountain ranges of California and 
Lower California, chiefly in the southern parts of 
the former. This species is like the latter except 
that it is grayer on the back of the head and 
neck. Its nesting habits and eggs are like the 
preceding. 
Reddish buff. 
293. Scaled Quail. Callipepla squamata squamata. 
Range. — Mexico and southwestern border of the United States 
This blue gray species is 10 inches in length; the 
feathers on the neck and underparts have narrow 
dark borders, thus giving the plumage a scaly ap- 
pearance, from which the birds take their name. 
They have a small tuft of whitish or buffy feathers 
on the top of the head. It is especially abundant in 
the dry arid portions of its range, being found often 
many miles away from water. Their eggs are laid 
in a shallow hollow under some small bush or cactus, 
and number from eight to sixteen; they are creamy 
white, finely specked with buff or pale brownish. 
Size 1.25 x .95. Creamy white. 
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