Mr. H. E. Dresser on the Birds of Southern Texas. 27 



Ortyx texanus, Lawrence. Texan Quail. 



This, the so-called " Common Partridge '' of the country, I 

 found abundant everywhere in localities suitable to its habits. 

 Near Matamoras it is common, and is the only species of Quail 

 I shot or noticed there. Near Roma, Rio Grande City, and La- 

 redo I saw none, but found the Blue Quail abundant. At Eagle 

 Pass and Piedras Negras, where the soil is sandy, the grass 

 scanty, and cacti are abundant, T only found one bevy of Texan 

 Quail, but saw plenty of Blue Quail. Near San Antonio only 

 the Texan Quail is found ; nor did I observe any other species 

 in ti-avelliug towards the north-east. Amongst the Bandera 

 Hills, where I found the Massena Quail, I also found the Texan 

 Quail in the valleys and near the maize-fields. In travelling 

 from Brownsville to San Antonio the Texan Quail was abun- 

 dant, except in the sand deserts. 



The present species does not seem to be very particular as to 

 its breeding-season, as I found young birds near Matamoras 

 early in July, and in September also quite young birds near the 

 Nueces River ; and Dr. Heermann tells me that he has procured 

 eggs at San Antonio late in the same month. I have one nest 

 of eggs, taken near San Antonio, which are very similar to those 

 of the Virginian Quail (O. virginianus) , but are slightly smaller. 



I procured some peculiar varieties of this Quail near San 

 Antonio, with the throat black, surrounded by white, instead of 

 being pure white, so that the white forms a narrow crescent 

 pointing upwards, the black commencing from the bill. Some 

 had the black patch very dark and clearly defined; and others 

 had the black extending a very short distance below the bill, 

 and mixed with white spots. These varieties are not found by 

 themselves, but in the same bevies with birds of the usual type. 



Oreortyx pictus (Douglas) ? Mountain-Quail ? 



Westfall the hunter described to me a Quail which he had 

 shot in the hills near the head- springs of the Leona, which I 

 feel pretty sure must have been this bird. 



LoPHORTYX CALiFORNicus (Shaw) ? California Quail? 

 Some Californians (who were with Captain Skillman on his 

 expedition from San Antonio to El Paso to watch the move- 



