752 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — GALLING — ALECTOROPODES. 



in black. Crown mixed brown and black, with sharp median and lateral buif stripes. 

 Throat white, bounded before by a dark bar curving down behind auriculars ; behind, by a 

 necklace of ruddy-brown, blackisli, or wliitish spots; chin varied with dark marks in advance 

 of the auricular bar. Under parts lading to whitish from the buff or pale yellowish -brown 

 breast, without any dark crossbars, but long feathers of sides and flanks with large and con- 

 spicuous white shaft-stripes and otherwise variegated with black, brown, and buff. Primaries 

 fuscous, spotted with light bri)wn on outer webs ; secondaries similar, but the markings be- 

 coming bars on both webs. Tail-feathers brownish-black, much varied with shaft-lines, cross- 

 bars, and edgings of buflf ; crissuni immaculate, like abdomen. Bill dark; feet pale; iris dark 

 brown. Length about 7.00; wing 3.75; tail 1.75; tarsus 1.00; middle toe and claw rather 

 more. Europe, Asia, Africa; recently imported and turned loose in considerable numbers in 

 the U. S., as in New England ; but its permanent naturalization is open to question. If one 

 will compare this bird with Bob White he will see how very different is the Old World Quail 

 from our Colins, or any other birds of this country called "quail;" but that it resembles 

 these more nearly than the European Partridge, Perdix cinerea, does ; so that, if we must 

 borrow a name from any Old World birds for our species of Colinus, LopTiortyx, Callipepla, 

 etc, the term " quail"' is rather more appropriate than " partridge." 



Subfamily ODONTOPHORIN/E : American Partridges and Quails. 



Head completely feathered, and usually crested, the crest frequently assuming a remarkable 

 shape. Nasal fossce not filled with feathers ; nostrils covered with a naked scale. Tarsi and 

 toes naked, latter scarcely or not fringed, former scutellate. Usually a small claw on the thumb. 

 Tail typically of 12 feathers, rarely 14. Size smaller than in Tetraonidce. 



Our Partridges may be distinguished, among American Gallince, by the foregoing charac- 

 ters, but not from those of the Old World ; and it is highly improbable that, as a group, they 

 are separable from all the forms of the latter by any decided peculiarities. The principal sup- 

 posed character, namely, toothing of under mandible, is very faintly indicated in some forms, 

 and entirely wanting in others. Pending final issue, however, it is expedient to recognize the 

 group, so strictly limited geographically, if not otherwise. Several beautiful and important 

 genera occur within our limits, but these Partridges are most numerous in species in Central 

 and South America. Odontopliorus is the leading genus, with perhaps 15 species, m which the 

 head is crested, and the sexes are similar. Dacfijlortyx thoracicus is a single species lately sep- 

 arated from Odontopliorus on account of the dift'erence in the sexes and some other characters, 

 including the length of the claws. In Eupsychortyx the head is also crested, but tlie sexes are 

 unlike ; there are at least 5 species of this genus. In the three species of Dendrortyx, all 

 Central American, the sexes are alike, there is a short occipital crest, and the rounded tail is 

 nearly as long as the wing; the size is also large, from 12 to 15 inches in length. Philortyx 

 faseiatus of Mexico, the only species of its genus, is very small, only about 7\ inches long. 

 Philortyx fasciatus is a peculiarly crested species. The genus Ehynchortyx has been estab- 

 lished tor two small species usually included in Odontopliorus, but having only 10 rectrices ; 

 a. spodrostethrus and B. cinctus both inhabit Central America. This case of 10 rectrices in 

 Ehynchortyx, and that of our Callipepla (see beyond) with 14, are the only exceptions to the 

 rule in OdontophorintB that the tail is 12-feathered. No members of the family are spurred, 

 combed, or wattled, and all have the head fully feathered, as well as more or less crested, some- 

 times in very elegant fashion ; there is also little range of variability in size, and for the most 

 part a general similarity to one another in pattern of coloration, among the about 45 species 

 of which the subfamily is known to be composed. They are thus a compact group, in compari- 

 son at least, with the widely diversified Perdicince of the Old World ; and this fact may have 

 its weight in deciding us to recognize them as a subfamily, even if they do not very well ex- 



