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Show 267 early May, and by the last of June large numbers of the young are out and able even-to fly short distances. The time, however, for nesting must be quite variable, or else-the great disparity in the ages of the broods is due to the fact that the later nestlings are the product of a second clutch of eggs, the first having perhaps been destroyed. Thus, though I have seen many young able to fly in the month of June, I have found others of about the same Bize and age late in August. Two broods may occasionally be reared in a season. As soon as the young are out, it is usual for several broods to unite together, and in this way it is not unusual to find in one company birds representing several progressive stages of plumage, and more or less advanced toward maturity. Within the limits or its range, this Quail affects almost all situations. Often during the day, the bands will be found in the vicinity of water, the nature of their food requiring much to soften and aid in its digestion. The bushy pastures, grain fields, and the foot- hills, all in turn invite attention, and are visited by the busy flocks that thus spend the greater part of the day in a constant search for food. Whether it is a constant habit with them to seek Bhelter during the hottest part of the day, I do not know; but I have often found the bevies about noon in the shade of the bushes that fringe the margin of some favorite spring, where they have come to slake their thirst and apparently pass the heated hours of day in shady seclusion. This I think is a fixed habit with them. In October and November, the young birds are full- grown, and as strong on the wing as their parents. They now gather into very large bevies, or rather an assemblage of bevies, sometimes a hundred or more, though the average would be less than this. As a rule, their ways are not such as to endear tbem to the sportsman; for they are apt to be wary, and, unless under specially favorable circumstances, are not wont to lie closely. I have, however, flushed a large bevy contiguous to a bushy pasture where the scrub was about knee- deep, with cattle- paths through it, and have had glorious sport. The birds lay so close as to enable me to walk almost over them, when they got up by twos and threes, and went off in fine style. The sportsman may now and then stumble upon such chances, but they do not come often. A bevy once up, off they go, scattering but little unless badly scared, the main body keeping well together, and having flown a safe distance they drop, but not to hide and be flushed one after another at the leisure of the sportsman. The moment their feet touch firm ground, off they go like frightened deer, and if, as is often the case, they have been flushed near some rocky hill, they will pause not a moment till they have gained its Bteep sides, up which it would be worse than useless to follow. Should they, however, be put up hard by trees, they will dive in among the foliage and hide, and there standing perfectly motionless will sometimes permit one to approach to the foot of the tree they are lodged in ere taking wing. They roost always in bushes or trees, and almost invariably in those which are hard by water, which they reBort to in the early morning ere setting forth on the business of the day. When anxious and disturbed, the members of the flock call to each other in quer ulous tones, the notes resembling the syllable pit, pit, constantly repeated ; this, too, just as they are taking to wing. Besides this, the males have a loud call, which answers, when the band has been dispersed, to bring them together. Thi s has been variously interpreted. It resembles perhaps as much as anything, when put into English, the words come- right- here, the last syllable lengthened and much emphasized. No. 83 92 93 94 116 117 253 254 278 578 579 5? 0 580A 581 581 A 587 5* 8 589 653 654 716 725 726 Sex. Locality. tfad. d ad. ? ad. § ad. < f ad. $ ad. tfad. d Jan. tfad. cf ad. rfad. tfad. d jun. jan. Santa Barbara, Cal.. do do do do do Fort Tcjon, Cal do. : do Near Kernville, Cal. do do do do do do do do Walker's Baain, Cal. do do Fort Tejon, Cal do. Dale. Jnne 26 • Tune 26 Jane 26 Jane 27 June 28 Jane 28 July 26 July 26 Ang. 2 Oct. 19 Oct. 19 Oct. 19 Oct. 19 Oct. 20 Oct. 19 Oct. 20 Oct. 23. Oct. 23 Nov. 5 Nov. 5 Nov. 5 July 26 July 26 Collector. H. W. Hcnshaw. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do. Do- Do. Do. |