558 



SCRATCHING BIRDS — GALLIN/E. 



reaching nearly to the middle vi' the central anterior. The toes without the claws, how- 

 ever, are very short. 



-:^l 



i^^^:-. 



This genus differs very luucli iVuiii its Kortli American allies in the great 

 development of the leathers composing the Aving coverts, the very short and 

 soft tail, and the very short toes and long claws. It is almost worthy of 

 forming the type of a distinct suli-1'amily, so many and great are its pectdi- 

 arities. The single North American representative is the only one of our 

 species with round white spots on the lower surface and black ones above.' 

 A second species, C. ocdlatus, is found in Mexico. 



Cyrtonyx massena, (iouLD. 



THE MASSENA PARTRIDGE. 



OiUjx massena, Lkssox, Cent. Zool. 1830. 189. — Vjrlomjx missrna, Godld, Mon. Oilont. 

 1850, 14 ; tab. vii. — McCali,, V. A. N. Sc. V. 1851, 221. — Cassin, lUust. I. i. 1853, 

 21 ; pi. xxi. — Reichenisacii, Syst. Av. 1850, pi. xxvii. — Baiud, Birds N. Anier. 1858, 

 647. Ib. Mex. Bound. Rep. II. 23.— CoUES, Pr. A. N. Sc. 1806, 95. — Dkesser, Ibis, 

 1865, 29. — Gray, Catal. Gallina; Br. Mus. 1867, 74. 



Ortiji monlcziimo!. Vigors, Zool. Jour. V. 1830, 275. 



Odoiilojiliorus mekaijris, AVaclek, IsIs, XXV. 1832, 279. 



Tetiao r/iillata, De la Llave, Registio trimcstre, I. 1832, 145. 



Sp. C'n.VR. Head striju'd with white, black, and lead-color; chin lilack. Feathers 

 above streaked centrally with whitish, those on the outer surface of the wings, with two 

 series of rounded black spots. Central line of breast and belly dark chestnut ; the abdo- 

 men, thighs, and crissum black ; the sides of breast and body lead -color, with round white 

 spots. Legs blue. Length, 8.75 ; wing, 7 00 ; tail, 2.50. 



Hah. Chieflv on the L^pjier Rio (Jrande from the high plains of the Pecos. Westward 

 to Fort Whipj)le, Arizona, and the (iulf of California. 



This, the most strikingly marked of all the American partridges, is abun- 

 dant along the southern border of the Viiited States, and is met with in 



