PEEDICIDiE — THE PAKTKIDGES — CYRTONYX. 



557 



oils, throat tuim.'il with yollowish-brown. pLMthcrs of neck, iippm- jiart of back and under 

 parts generally, exc<'pt on the sides and behinil, with a narrow but well-defined maigin of 

 l)lackisli, jiroducing the effect of imbricated scales. Feathers on the sides streaked cen- 

 trally with white. Inner edge of inner tertials, and tips of long feathers of the crest, 

 whitish. Crissuni rusty white, streaked with rust}-. Female nearly similar. Length, 

 9.50; wing, 4.80; tail, 4.10. 



Ilah. Valley of Rio Grande of Texas. Not yet detected fartluT west. Most abundant 

 on the high broken table-lands and niezquite plains. Southward into Mexico. 



This .species has not yet, I "believe, been actually taken west oi' the Itocky 

 Mountains, but there is no reason why it may not occur in Arizona, and it 

 is introduced here for the purpose of completing the history of the family. 

 It is found high up in the mountains of Xew Mexico, and is there exposed to 

 considerable intensity of cold, while in the low lands it resists successfully 

 au equal extreme (jf lieat. They afford consideralile sport to the hunter, but 

 rarely lie to a di.ig, ruuning away with great swiftness when approached. 

 The ilesh, like that of other species of the family, is said to be excellent. 



Genus CYRTONYX, Gould. 



Cyrtonj.T, Gould, Mou, Odout. 1 1845. (Type, Ortyx /nassenu, Lesson.) 



Gex. Char. Bill very stout and robust. Head with a broail soft occipital crest of 

 short decumbent feathers. Tail very short, half the length of the wings, composed of soft 

 feathers, the longest scarcely longer than the coverts ; much graduated. AVings long and 



broad, the coverts and tertials so much enlarged as to conceal the quills. Feet robust, 

 extending considerably beyond the tip of the tail. Claws very large, the outer lateral 



