The Arizona sentinel., 1878-12-14
Some Birds Of Southern and West.
tern Arizona.
CONCLUDED.

Although Bill Williams Fork
is the habitat of the birds men
toned in the previous article, all
Of them, save the swifts and some
of the swallows, are found in the
Colorado and Gila valleys, to-
gether with many others seldom
seen to the northward.
We have met with the follow
ing, and also 'others which do not
tally with the descriptions and
classifications of naturalists that
we have thus far seen, and which
afford a fine field for research and
nomenclature; some may be only
varieties of a genus already well
known, while some are suffi-
GENTLY distinct in form and mark
ings to deserve to be named.
Lophortyx Cor Callipepla) Gam
pelii-GambePs Partridge, or Ari-
zona QuaiI.-This bird is abun-
dant throughout the whole Of
Arizona, so much so as to give
the name to Partridge Creek.
Large focks frequently cross the
road before one, or are seen hud-
lied together Under a bush. The
plumage differs from those of
California, though similar in size
and shape, and there is a marked
difference between those found
in Eastern and Western Arizona;
the former are wanting the pecu-
liar crest, or top-knot, and are
more sober hued. Although fire.
quenting the most arid portions
of the country, where they find
but a scanty subsistence of grass
seeds, mezquite beans and insects,
still they show preference for
the habitation Of man, being much
more numerous in the cultivated
fields. Towards evening the loud
call-note Of the male bird is heard,
gathering the scattered members
OF the flock, previous to issuing
from the cover where they have
been concealed during the day.
Raeorting to the trails and roads
in search of food, they utter while
thus engaged a low, soft note,
which keeps the flock together.
They are not of a wild nature,
often permitting near approach,
seldom flying when pursued, un-
less flushed, but depending more
upon their feet as a mode of es-
cape than upon their wings.
They are quite abundant in this
neighborhood, congregating in
large coveys; on being suddenly
flushed these birds separate very
widely, but Immediately upon
alighting commence their call
note, resembling the soft chirp of
q young chicken; this note is kept
up for some time, each individual
seeming to vie with the others in
repeating ii; the alarm past, and
the flock once more reunited they
relapse into silence, only broken
by the occasional cluck Of the
male bird. Once scattered, un-
less closely marked, they are not
readily started again, as they hug
or lie close i'll their thick, bushy
and impenetrable coverts. They
are often run down by the Yuma
Indians, who also catch them
alive in snares, and bring them
in large numbers to town for sale.
The Colaptes Mexicanus-Red-
Shafted Woodpecker-Is very shy
and difficult of approach, owing
to its being closely hunted by tie
Indians, especially the MOhaves,
who esteem it highly on account
of the beauty Of its feathers,
which they use for head-dresses.
1t builds its nests in the large
cacti on the barren hills, as we'll
as among the trees and bushes of
the valley.
AntrostomuS Nuttalli-NuttalPs
Whip-poor-will- ill-Sometimes seen
about dusk, but rarely during the