t46 THE CONDOR [VOL. V

On the Use of Sentinels by Valley Quail BY JOHN J. WILLIAMS EFORE taking up the discussion of this question "Do valley quail use senti- nels?" I wish to say that although I am seriously inclined to think that quail do use sentinels, yet further observations by others may throw a different light on the subject, so that under these circumstances I prefer to leave the question open. Should any one feel like taking up the study of birds, his ardor is usually dampened at the outset somewhat by the large amount of time and patience it re- quires to do so. But should any one be inclined to study valley quail (Lophortyx c. vallicolus) in particular, after the first attempt there is very little inclination left to do so. Out of all of our common birds they are the most easily frightened, "Eternal Vigilance" evidently being their motto, but of all our common birds they are perhaps the most interesting, especially in their habits. The rustling of a dog, the snapling of a twig, or the distant report of a gun, serves equally well to put them on guard or start .XXx ' them on the wing. Even the wavering y,X X X x . X. (  shadow olafailing leaf has caused O t't" Ca ',.. t' themtoscurry from me into the nearest ..?.'/' )))   "x ,,z/t bushes. Andyetfor all that a detailed study of the habits of valley quail will ']3 amply repay any time put on it. t'[  ...,x, S It was with the intention of lath- oming the secretive and (to me) un- ///] ...,-' x known holne life ofthese birds, that [// ,, x , I set out in the spring of x9ox for ,.. t/ xxb an old brush fence 'in the foothills of If/( Placer county. C x There I felt sure  x,,, ! of a large flock of quail, and in fact Sxk x ! it was my favorite retreat for the kx]3 "---- ''-   study of a number of birds. As a 1 follows is depend- _b/',X good deal of what ent upon a thor- ough knowledge of the location, I have given in the sketch a general idea of the spot. BF represents the brush fence cut in two by a wide irrigation ditch, DD. At A on the lower bank of the ditch, among some shrubbery screening me from view partially, I chose my hiding place, getting,into as good and comfortable a position as possible, for once I got settled I knew it was for an hour or more and half of that time I would have to be absolutely motionless. No note book was needed, and all the notes I took would have to be taken in my head, for a true valley quail dislikes the publicity of a written interview and despises reporters. Soon from the hillside above the brush fence, I heard their call notes, coming nearer and nearer and answered from different points on the hillside, indicating that the clan was gathering for its feed in the old apple orchard at O in the sketch. Suddenly after some little quietness one of them appeared at F and ran rapldly to the point marked S where he flew up onto the lowest branch of a dead peach tree. I began to get interested and put the glass on him, although he was only about ninety feet from me. He was thoroughly alert and business-like and was

scrutinizing his surroundings as minutely as a nuthatch would the bark of a tree.