TETRAONIDvE— THE GROUSE, ETC. 15 



Four genera are found in the United States, but only one of 

 these occurs east of the Mississippi River, the remainder belong- 

 ing to the southwestern border and the Pacific coast. Some of 

 the western species are strikingly elegant birds, especially the 

 Mountain Quail {Orcortyx pictus) and Valley Quail (Lophortyx 

 caUfornicus) of the Pacific coast. The genera OalUpepla and 

 Cyrtonyx belong to Mexico and contiguous border of the United 

 States, each having a single species within our limits. 



Genus COLINUS Lesson. 



Orty.r Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. xi, 1819. Preoccupied. Type, Tetrao oirginianus 



Linn. 

 Colinus Less. Man. ii, 1828, 190. Same type. 



Gen. Char. Bill stout. Head without crest. Tail short, scarcely more than half the 

 wing, composed of moderately soft feathers. Wings normal. Legs distinct, well developed, 

 the toes reaching considerably beyond the tip of the tail; the lateral toes short, equal, their 

 claws falling decidedly short of the base of the middle claw. 



The genus Colirms embraces numerous species, all more or less 

 resembling the well-known Bob-white of the United States. They 

 are chiefly confined to Mexico, Central America, and the Greater 

 Antilles. North America and the West India Islands contain 

 but one species, and this is so variable in plumage that it 

 is only at extreme points of its range that differences acquire 

 sufficient constancy to be considered worthy of special no- 

 tice. The regions of its extremes of variation are the north- 

 eastern, southeastern, and southwestern limits of its range; the 

 modifications attaining in Cuba and in Texas sufficient value 

 to have been deemed of specific importance. But comparing 

 even the three extremes of plumage, the differences arc found 

 to consist only in a varying amount of the several colors, 

 specimens from intervening regions forming the connecting 

 links. 



Colinus virginianus (Linn.) 



BOB WHITE. 



Popular synonyms. "Quail" (in New England and most portions of the Mississippi Val- 

 ley) ; "Partridge" (in outhern States an. I parts of the interior); imerioan Quail; 

 Virginia Quail ; Pari ridg ■ I lolin. 



Tetrao oirginianus Linn. 8. N. ed. 10, 1, 1768, 161 ; ed. 13, i, 1766, 277. 

 Perdix virginiana Lath. 1790 -Wu»s. Am. Orn. vi, 1812, 21, pL 17.— Aud. Orn. Biog. i, 

 1881,388; V, 1839,661, pL76.— Nutt. Man. i. 1832. 646. 



