57. DACTTI.ORTrX. 429 



57. DACTYLORTYX. 



Sexes different. Occipital tVathors Iciiiithcncd into a short crest. 



Ist primarj' equals the 8th ; 4th longest. 



Tail composed of 12 feathers, | of the lengtli of the wing. 



Tarsus much shorter than tlie middle toe and claw. 



Claws very long, much like those of Arhoricola. 



Bill moderately stout, not so deep as that of Odontoplwrus. 



Range. Central America ; Southern Mexico, Yucatan, Guatemala, 

 and San Salvador. 



1. Dactylortyx thoracicus. 



Ortyx thoracicus, Gambel, P. Ac. Fhilad. iv. p. 77 (1848) [Jalapa, 



Mexii^'o]. 

 Perdix lineolata, iicA^. in Mus. Berlin,Jide Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. 



pt. iii. text to pi. 32 (1850). 

 Ortyx lineolatus, Natterer, MS., fide Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. 



pt. iii. text to pi. 32 (1850). 

 Odontopliorus lineolatus, Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. iii. pi. 32 



(1850) ; Gray, List Gallina; Brit. Mns. p. 73 (1867) ; id. Hand-l. 



B.n. p. 272(1870). 

 Strophiortyx lineolatus, Bimnp. C. R. xlii. p. 883 (1856). 

 Odoutophorus thoracicus, Sclat. 4" Sah-in, Ibis, 1860, p. 276 [Volcan 



de Fuego]. 



Adult male. Top of the head brown, more or less washed with 

 rusty, the feathers down the middle with i)ale shaft-stripes ; feathers 

 of the nape black mixed with brown and with wide Imff centres ; 

 mantle almost similar to the top of the head ; lower back, rump, 

 and upper tail-coverts pale olive- brown, some of the feathers, espe- 

 cially the upper tail-coverts, indistinctly blotched with black near 

 the extremity of the shaft ; scapulars, wing-coverts, and outer 

 secondaries largely mixed with black towards the extremities of the 

 inner or both webs, the rest of the feathers finely mottled with 

 sandy brown, rufous, and black, shading into greyish on the outer 

 webs ; all the feathers have pale buff shaft-stripes, and the longer 

 scapulars and outer secondaries have the outer web margined with 

 golden buff; quills brown, mottled with buff on the outer web; 

 superciliary stripe, cheeks, chin, and throat reddisli chestnut, ear- 

 coverts dark brown, and a black patch of feathers on the side of the 

 throat : chest and rest of underparts grey, faintly washed with 

 reddish brown, and with white shaft-stripes ; thighs like the upper 

 tail-coverts ; middle of belly and vent white ; under tail-coverts 

 buff, irregularly barred with black ; tail blackish brown, with 

 irregular motlled bars of buff. Total length inches, wing 5-3, 

 tail 2-'2, tarsus 1'3, middle toe and claw 1"7. 



A nearh/ mdture male him the middle of the chin and throat white 

 and some of the feathers of the chest and breast spotted with black. 



Adult female has the upper i)arts very similar to those of the 

 male, but the superciliary stripes and cheeks are greyish white; the 

 chin and throat white, and tlie chest and breast dull brick-red, with 



