the bird book 
Mearns Partridge 
296. Mearns Quail. 
Cyrtonyx montezumcc mearnsi. 
Range. — Mexico, north to southern Arizona 
and New Mexico, and to western Texas. 
A remarkable species about 9 inches long; 
often called “Fool Quail’’ because of its eccen- 
tric and clownish markings, streaks and spots 
of black, white, buff, gray and chestnut. It is 
met with in small flocks on the mountains and 
less frequently in the valleys. It frequents 
scrubby wooded places rather than open hill 
sides and is very easy to approach and kill; 
this confidence or stupidity together with its 
clownish appearance are the reasons for its 
commonly used local name. Their nests are 
hollows in the ground, lined with grasses and 
concealed by overhanging tufts of grass. The 
eggs, which are pure white, are not distinguish- 
able with certainty from those of the Bob- 
white, but average longer. Size 1.25 x .95. 
297 . Dusky Grouse. Dendragapus obscurus obscurus. 
Range. — Rocky Mountain region from central Montana south to New Mexico. 
With the exception of the Sage Grouse, this species is the largest of the fam- 
ily, being about 20 inches in length. The general tone of its plumage below is 
gray; above, blackish gray and the tail blackish with a broad terminal band of 
light gray. They frequent the wooded and especially the coniferous districts, 
where they build their nests under fallen trees or at the bases of standing ones. 
They lay from six to ten eggs of a buffy color, sparsely spotted and blotched 
with brownish. Size 2.00 x 1.40. 
297a. Sooty Grouse. Dendragapus obscurus fuliginosus. 
Range. — Mountain ranges along the 
Pacific coast from California to Brit- 
ish Columbia. 
Like the last, this somewhat darker 
sub-species is met with in timbered 
regions, where its habits are about the 
same as those of the Ruffled Grouse, 
except, of course, that they are not 
nearly as shy as the Grouse in New 
England. Their eggs are laid in hol- 
lows beside stumps or under logs. 
The eggs are buff colored, spotted with 
reddish brown. Size 2.00 x 1.40. 
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