648 



U. S. p. K. R, EXP. AND SURVEYS ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



Sp. Ch. — Head striped with white, black, and lead color ; chin black. Feathers above streaked centrally with whitish, lliose 

 on the outer surface of the wings, with two series of rounded black spots. Central line of breast and belly dark chestnut ; the 

 abdomen, thighs, and crissum, black ; the sides of breast and body lead color, with round white spots. Legs blue. Length, 

 8.75; wirg, 7; tail, 2.50. 



Hab. — Chiefly on the upper Rio Grande from the high plains of the Pecos. 



It is scarcely possible to describe this beautiful quail so as to exhibit an accurate idea of its 

 markings and coloration. It is, however, so different from any other known species as to require 

 mention of its more prominent features only. 



Head with a broad depressed and full occipital crest. The sides of the head are striped white, 

 plumbeous, and black. The lead color forms a streak above and below the eye, the latter one 

 widening behind and with a crescent of black parallel to it on the sides of the neck. The chin 

 and middle of the throat, (bounded laterally and behind by white,) with two spots on the 

 upper eyelids and a stripe behind, starting below the middle of the eye, are also black. The 

 forehead is black, with two white streaks on each side, the vertex is likewise black but the 

 feathers are tipped with brownish yellow, of which color is the crest. The under parts are dark 

 bluish ash, each feather with two series of round white spots ; the central line of breast and 

 belly dark orange chestnut ; the thighs, anal region, and beneath the tail, sooty or velvety 

 black. The feathers above are all streaked centrally with brownish white or yellow, bordered 

 ■with black ; the back and scapulars reddish brown, barred transversely with black ; the 

 exposed surfaces of the wings with two series of black spots on each feather. Primary quills 

 brown spotted with white. 



A skin, probably of a young male, is without the black and plumbeous of the head and throat ; 

 the white, however, is speckled with brown. 



The female is something like the male on the back, except that the wings lack the round 

 black spots. The under parts are totally different, the ground color being of a light purplish 

 cinnamon, the feathers of the breast and sides streaked centrally and narrowly on each side the 

 (light colored) shafts with black. The throat and median line of belly and anal region are 

 dull purplish white, without markings. The head shows none of tlie black and white 

 markings. 



List of specimens. 



Catal. I Sex. 

 No. 



4418 



10356 



10357 



10358 



8358 



9359 



9356 



6106 



9355 



3998 



s 



Q 

 S 

 <J 



Locality. 



Chihuahua 



Fort Davis, Tex 



do 



do 



Turkey creek, Tex — 



Las Moras, Texas 



Mimbrcs to R. Grande. 



Wchtern Texas 



Laredo, Texas 



New Leon, Mcx 



When collected. 



Nov. ■ 

 1853- 



1854 



April—, 1853 



Whence obtained. 



John Potts. 



Dr. Foard, U. S. A 

 do 



.do. 



Orig. 

 No. 



Collectedly — 



Remarks. 



Major Emory 



Dr. Crawford 



Dr. T. C. Henry . 



Capt. Pope 



Major Emory 



Lt. Couch 



25 Dr. Kennerly . 



J. U. Clark. 



Kyi'S (lark, bill black. 



