Misalliance of California Quail with Mallard
Misalliance of California Quail with Mallard.-During the month of March, 1948, a female California Quail (Lophortylc californica) again entertained astonished visitors to the Lake Merritt Waterfowl Refuge, Lakeside Park, Oakland, by her persistent pursuit of certain males of the local group of LMallards ,(Anas platyrhynchos). This affair was first observed in June, 1947, when this erratic quail deserted her own mate and began following certain Mallard drakes, attacking and driving away their legitimate mates. On that first occasion the male quail remained in the vicinity, in a distracted condition, and was subsequently run over and killed by an auto passing the duck-feeding area. On all occasions the attentions of this perverted quail have been largely ignored by the drakes, which continued to follow their normal habits as far as possible. In some instances the ardor of the female quail led her to enter the lake or the feeding and bathing pool to maximum wading depth when the object of her affections took to the water. During these recent performances by this frustrated bird a male quail again attempted to divert her from her fruitless pursuit. At the date of this writing she has not been observed in the vicinity of the Mallards for approximately two weeks.-PAUL F. COVEL, Oakland, California, April 20, 1948.
