594 



SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. — GALLING — ALECTOROPODES. 



reduced or wanting ; size rather less. Texas, N. M., Ariz, and southward ; generally dispersed, 

 but far less numerous than the top-knot quails, and apparently more southern ; extends along 

 the Rio Grande to about 100 miles from the coast. Eggs 10-12-16, rather elliptical than con- 

 ical, 1.2.'jX0.98, white, minutely freckled with buflF. 

 214. CYRTCNYX. (Gr. Kvpros, kurtos, bent, crooked; 6w^, onux, nail, claw.) Harlequin 

 Quail. BiU very stout. Head with a full, soft, depressed occipital crest. Tail very short, 

 soft, almost hidden by the coverts, scarcely or not half as long as the wings. Wing-coverts 

 and inner quills highly developed, folding entirely over the primaries. Feet small ; tarsus 

 rather shorter than middle toe and claw ; toes short, but with remarkably developed claws. A 

 very distinct genus. Plumage of head of ^ curiously striped ; of under parts ocellated. Sexes 

 very unlike. 

 57g. G. masse'na. (To Andre Massena, Prince D'Essling and Marshal of France. Fig. 413.) Mas- 

 SENA Partridge. ^, adult: Upper parts intimately waved with black and reddish-brown 

 and tawny-brown, and marked with sharp buffer whitish shaft-lines ; on the wings the irregular 

 black variegation changing to black bars and round spots, in regular paired series on each 



feather. Outer quills fuscous, their outer webs 

 spotted with white or buff. Under parts crowded 

 with innumei'able round white spots on a dark 

 ground, several pairs on each feather ; the middle 

 line of the breast and belly mahogany-colored, 

 the flanks, vent, and crissum velvety-black. Top 

 of head black in front, with slight white touches, 

 changing on the crest to brown. Sides of head 

 and throat fantastically striped with black and 

 white ; a broad black throat-patch ; another on 

 the cheeks, across lores and alongside of crown ; 

 a third on the ear-coverts ; a fourth bordering the 

 white all around behind. Length about 9. 00; 

 extent 17.00 •, wing 4.75; tail 2.00; tarsus 1.20: 

 middle toe and claw 1.60 ; its claw alone 0.50 

 markings of the wings less regular, more assimi 

 lated with the general variegation, and the tone more fulvous. No peculiar marks on head , 

 throat whitish or buff; general tone of the under parts pale purplish-cinnamon, with fine- 

 mottling of black and white on each feather. Young ^ : Resembling the hen, but the unde? 

 parts ochrey or whitish with black variegation. Chicks, scarcely fledged, 3-4 inches long 

 Bill reddish above, whitish below; feet dull brownish. Above, light warm brown, vaiieil 

 with black, boldly striped with white — each feather having a hammer-headed white shaft- 

 line. Some inner wing-quills like the back ; others dusky with whitish shafts, broken-barred 

 with buff, chiefly on outer webs. Below, buffy-white, with numberless spots of blackish paired 

 on each feather, sharp and circular on breast, further back widening to bars. A singular 

 species, very showy in full plumage, inhabiting portions ot Texas, N. M., and Ariz.; in the 

 latter, W. to Fort Whipple at least. 



[Subfamily PERDICIN^: Old World Partridges and Quail. 



It becomes necessary to introduce this group, in consequence of the naturalization of the 

 imported Migratory or Messina Quail of Europe. I know of no characters to distinguish it 

 fi-om Odontophorince, and doubt that there are any.] 

 215. COTUR'NIX. (Lat. coturnix, a quail; from its note.) BiU smaller and much slenderer than 

 that of any of the foregoing genera of OdontophorincB ; nasal fossae feathered, except on the 

 tumid nasal scale. Wings of moderate length, little vaulted and not rounded, pointed by the 



Fig. 413. —Massena yuail, cf, uat. size. 

 9 , adult : Upper parts as in the $ , but the 



