soine Birds of Yucatan. 461 



by the Spanish residents of the country.* The Ortyx nigro- 

 gularis, in its note and habits, is precisely similar to the O. 

 Virginianus. They whistle the Bob White in the spring ; 

 their covey-call, in the autumn and winter, is so precisely the 

 same, that they readily answered when I whistled the call of 

 our quail ; and, if 1 had previously scattered the covev, I 

 could always find them in this way. They feed on similar 

 food, and roost in the same way ; they also sometimes alight 

 on trees, as our quail. Their internal anatomy is the same, 

 as nearly as one can judge without actual comparison, organ 

 for organ. The flesh is the same in color and appearance, 

 but it seemed to me not so good for the table as our bird ; 

 but that may have been owing to cooking. In short, I look 

 upon this bird as giving some valuable hints with regard to 

 the possibility of climate producing marked alteration in re- 

 gard to color and size in the inferior animals, as well as 

 in man. 



These birds are taken, by the Indian boys, in traps similar 

 to those used in taking our quail, and brought alive, in great 

 numbers, to the markets of the large towns of Yucatan. 



The throat of the young male is light colored, nearly white, 

 and it resembles very closely the young O. Virginiana. It 

 does not get its full plumage till late in winter. I have the 

 skin of a young male among my specimens, which has light- 

 colored feathers among the black of the throat ; this specimen 

 was killed in the latter part of the month of December, at 

 which time I killed a great number, with more or less light 

 color on their throats. The Maya or Indian name of this 

 bird is Bech, the e pronounced with a guttural sound. 



The dimensions given by Mr. Gould, being taken from a 



* There is another species of Ortyx found in the country, which is called Chibe- 

 loupe, fronn its note, (which is very musical.) This bird is larger than the O. nigro- 

 gularis, being about the size of O. Virginiana ; but in markings it is very similar. 

 It is much more difficult to procure, both on account of rarity and habits, than O. 

 nigrogularis, which is another reason for presuming that it could not be the bird 

 spoken of as the one used in immense numbers, for various kinds of sacrifices, and 

 as food, by the Indians, at the time of the conquest, under the appellation of quails. 

 I saw but one specimen of the ChibeJoiipe, (a female) though I heard iLcm several 

 limes, in the thick, tangled, and impenetrable underwood. 



