DESCRIPTION OF A NETV PLUMED PARTRIDGE FROM SONORA. 

 Uy leOBKKT ICIUdiWAV. 



Callipepla elegans bensoni. subs)), uov. 



SuBsi'. Char.— Similar to C. elcgam (Less.),* •>"! throat with bUick, 

 decidedly predominating over white; rusty markings of hind neck, 

 scaj)ulars, tertials, and Hanks much less bright; lower back, rump, 

 and upper tail-coverts decidedly less brown or olivaceous, and white 

 spots on lower bn ast and belly larj^er; the /cwKfYc with crest uniform 

 dusky-black instead of mainly light tawny ; tlie throat thickly streaked 

 or spotted with blackish, instead ot marked with very narrow shaft- 

 streaks only ; back nearly plain grayish, instead of being distinctly 

 bailed, and lighter spots on lower parts much larger. 



Adult male (type, No. 110502, Campos, Sonora; Lieut. II. C. Benson, 

 U.S.A.): A eonspicuous crest of h'ligthened, rather narrow, feathers 

 of a plain ochraceous buCf (;oh)r, with deep brown shafts. Forehead, 

 fore part and sides of crown, and lores, gray, narrowly streaked with 

 black; feathers of chin and throat black, with narrow terminal mar- 

 gins of white and spotted with same beneath surface ; feathers of cheeks 

 and sides of nape similar, but also edged with white, producing more 

 streaked appearance; feathers of nape pale-grayish, each marked Avith 

 a mesial wedge-shaped streak, the narrow basal portion of which is 

 blackish, the wider terminal portion rusty-chestnut or hazel ; feathers 

 of lower hind-neck and sides of neck ash-gray laterally, bright hazel 

 medially, these latter markings changing on sidesof chest to vinaceous- 

 cinnanion,and become gradually smaller and more guttate toward front 

 part of chest, which is i)laiu ash-gray ; back plain ash-gray, tinged with 

 olive posteriorly, the lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts i)laia 

 olivaceous-gray ; scapulars light hazel or dull rusty centrally, then gray- 

 ish, the edges rather broad white ; tertials similar, but merely tinged 

 with hazel, the general light brownish color of exposed jmrtion linely 

 mottled or freckled with darker, the whitish edging on outer webs indis- 

 tinct or broken; prevailing color of wings olive-grayish, but upper- 

 most larger coverts marked with hazel and white, like scapulars; pri- 

 maries plain slate-gray, with dusky shafts and somewhat heavy edges; 

 tail deep bluish-gray, or plumbeous, with black shafts. Sides and 

 flanks dull grayish and vinaceous-cinnamon, the latter in form of large, 

 but rather ill-defined, mesial guttate marks, the edges of the feathers 

 marked with oval or elliptical spots of white, these changing on ui)per- 

 . most feathers to streaks, and toward belly to circular spots, the vinace- 

 ous-cinnamon disappearing altogether on the breast and belly, which are 



"Ortyxelcgaua Less., Ceut. zool., 1832, pi. 61. CaUqjepla elerjam Gould, Mon. Odout., 



IdOO, pi. 13. 



148 



