(Oreortyx pictus confinis)
The San Pedro partridge, so named by the ornithologist, is a resident
of the San Pedro Martir mountains of Lower California, and ascends to
a height of ten thousand feet, and is rarely seen lower than five
thousand feet above the sea.
I want to say here that no work on ornithology that I have seen,
describes the San Pedro partridge properly. Most likely this is the
result of an examination of the intergrades only, for they do
intergrade with the California species to the northward. The two
species first mentioned have the plume from one and a half to two and
a half inches long and nearly round in form. The plume of the San
Pedro partridge is flat, about three-sixteenths of an inch wide and
from three and a half to four and a half inches long. The plume of the
other varieties is erectile, but that of the San Pedro denizen is soft
and falls down the side. In all species both sexes are alike, with the
exception that the plume of the female is generally a trifle the
shorter; but this can not always be relied upon to distinguish the
sex.
Generally speaking there is not much sport in hunting the mountain
quail, but I have at times had a bevy scattered in ferns, and in such
cases had very good sport with them with a dog, and found them to lie
very well. They are about a half larger than the valley quail, and as
a table bird much more succulent.
=Color=--Top of head, back of neck and breast, an ashy blue, darker on
the back of the neck than the breast; back and wings, inclining to
olive brown, in the Coast species with a slight reddish tinge; abdomen
and flanks, rich chestnut barred with black and white; under tail
feathers, black; entire throat, reaching well down onto the breast,
rich chestnut, bordered with white; chin, white; bill, black. The two
California species have two round, black plumes falling gracefully
over the back of the neck, but erectile when excited. These plumes
will vary from one and a half to two and a half inches in length. The
Lower California species have two flat, black plumes about
three-sixteenths of an inch in width and from three and a half to five
inches long. Both sexes are alike in all species.
=Nest and Eggs=--The nest, like that of all gallinaceous birds, is a
depression on the ground, hidden among a bunch of bushes or under a
log, surrounded by a few dry leaves. The number of eggs will average
about a dozen, rather oval in shape and of a light ochreous color.
=Measurements=--Length (see diagram), will average about 10 inches;
wing 5-1/2, bill about 5/8 of an inch.
[Illustration: CALIFORNIA VALLEY QUAIL
(Lophortyx californicus vallicola)]