-'C* 
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CALIFORNIA QUAILS ASSEMBLED TO MIGRATE. 
VOL. XXV. NO. 5. 
WHOLE NO. 1150. 
[Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872, by D. D. T. Moohk, In the office of the Librarian of ConKTOBS. at WnxIiiiiKtun. 1 
SPORTSMAN NOTES. 
Destruction of 
Pigeons when nest¬ 
ing. -B. F. Palmer 
asks if there is a law 
prohibiting the tle- 
H'j struction of pigeons 
while nesting, in New 
York State. He has 
been told that there 
is. We believe that 
the following is a sec- 
v.'^! lion of the gume-law 
of this State. We 
know it was incorpo¬ 
rated in the bill of last 
winter, and our re¬ 
membrance is that it 
became n law : “ No 
p c r 8 o u s hull kill, 
catch, or discharge 
any Hr car ms at rny 
wild pigeon while on 
its nesting grounds, 
or break up, or in any 
manner disturb, such 
nesting-ground, or the 
birds therein, or dis¬ 
charge any tlreavm at 
any distance within 
One-fourth of a mile 
of such nesting-place, 
at any pigeon, under 
a penalty of twenty- 
five dollars for each 
offense.” 
The Bent Fialiing- 
Placo for Salmon in 
Sacramento River, in 
California, is said to 
be about Rio Vesta, 
and the fact la thus 
explained by B. B. 
RePOINO, the State 
Fish Commissioner: 
“ When the salmon 
return from the ocean 
they are infested with 
parasites, which they 
rid themselves of by 
tarrying a while at 
this point, where the 
salt and fresh waters 
mingle. Again, in re¬ 
turning, a similar halt 
is made, to rid them¬ 
selves of fresh water 
parasites, thus offer¬ 
ing an extended and 
profitable fishing sea¬ 
son at Rio Vista, 
while other parts of 
the stream are em¬ 
ployed more strictly 
as a thoroughfare.” 
Flailing Through 
I'l Ice,—P. C. 8., Otsego 
] Co., N. Y., wants 
!j some of our readers 
(] who know how , to tell 
| him what is necessa¬ 
ry to catch pickerel 
through ice on a pond. 
The California 
quail, illustrated on 
this page, is a most 
beautiful bird. Some 
sportsmen confound 
them with the par¬ 
tridge - Ortyx Vlr- 
gtntanus or Pcrdlx 
Virginia n us of soma. 
The scientific name of 
the common quail is 
Coturnlx vulgaris.— 
The quail is a hardy 
bird, seldom forms in¬ 
to coveys, and is less 
prolific than the par¬ 
tridge. When they 
migrate they assem¬ 
ble In large numbers 
and travel by night, 
but when they arrive 
at their destination 
they separate, eaoh 
bird foraging on its 
own book. 
The common quail 
is seven to eight inch¬ 
es long, with a dusky 
bill, hazel eyes, and a 
mixture brown, black 
and ash color—in the 
head, neck and back; 
a yellow streak is seen 
on each eye, and an¬ 
other <»f (be same col¬ 
or down the middle of 
the forehead; a dark 
lino passes from each 
corner of the bill, 
forming a kind of gor¬ 
get above the breast. 
Thu scapular feathers 
arc marked by a light 
yellowish streak down 
the middle of each; 
the quills are a light¬ 
ish brown, with small 
rust-colored bauds on 
the exterior of the 
feathers. The breast 
is of a pale rust-color, 
spotted with black, 
and streaked with 
pale yellow. The tail 
consists of twelve 
feathers barred like 
the wings. The fe¬ 
male is without the 
black spot on the 
breast, and is less viv¬ 
id in plumage. This 
characteristic belongs 
to almost all birds, 
and is the same in 
the beautiful Califor¬ 
nia quails represent¬ 
ed in our Engraving, 
a variety distinguish¬ 
ed—as are some of the 
Oriental varieties—by 
a feathered tuft on 
the top of the head, 
and by a more bril¬ 
liant and lustrous 
feathering. 
Sportsmen who can 
give us anything 
about the habits or 
peculiarities of this 
variety of quail that 
affects the manner of 
hunting them will 
confer a favor. We 
know that they are, as 
a rule, critical stu¬ 
dents of the Natural 
History of the game 
they hunt — at least 
they should be. 
