40 THE CONDOR VoL. XI The Mearns Quail is found along a considerabl? extent of the Mexican Bound- ary of the United States, being, however, very local and extremely irregular in its distribution. It is a bird of the Upper Sonoran and Lower Transition zones, fond of rough, brushy hillsides, and but seldom venturing out into the open valleys. In Arizona it has been recorded from almost all the higher mountains of the south- eastern portion of the Territory, but these are nearly all more or less completely isolated ranges, and there are large tracts of country intervening, not at all suited to the species, where other species of quail occur, 23ophorlyx g?ambel[ and Calli- pepla squamala. The species was found in the Mogollon Mountains by Dr. Mearns, reaching its northern and western limit near Fort Whipple, where Dr. Coues secured two specimens in 1865. Henshaw speaks of it as a common resi- dent in the White Mountains, where he secured adults and young in August and September. Scott found it on the San Pedro slope of the Catalina Mountains, r.anging from 4000 to 5700 feet, and at the head of Mineral Creek in the Pinal Mountains. It has also been found in the Chiricahua, Santa Rita, Patagonia, Hua- chuca, and Rincon Mountains. Thus its distribution in Arizona may be traced with a fair degree of accuracy. MAP SHOWING UNITED STATES RANGI? OF THE MI?ARNS ?UAIL In New Mexico it has been reported frown the head of the Gila River, the Sierra Hachita, and from the Guadalupe Mountains, and probably occurs in many intervening spots. In Western Texas there are records of its occurrence in the Chisos and Davis Mountains, in Crockett, Edwards, and Tom Green Counties, and from the vicinity of San Antonio, probably its eastern limit. Information regarding the distribution of the Mearns Quail in Texas and New Mexico is scanty and unsatis- factory, as is readily seen on trying to apply it to a map; and while the accompany- ing outline possibly indicates the extreme points of the range, it leaves much to be desired as regards details. I believe, however, that the distribution of the species in Arizona is fairly well indicated tho there are one or two mountain ranges in the same general region, from which there is no data available, and where I believe the bird is sure to be found. The point I wished to illustrate and emphasize is the peculiarly disconnected manner of distribution--the species is non-migratory and in each range is as absolutely isolated as if on an island, the low, semi-desert val- leys between forming effective barriers. The species extends south far into Mexico, but just where the variety mearnsi
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