134 ALLEN^S NATURALIST*S LIBRARY. 



Habits. —In Yucatan the Black-throated Quail was always 

 seen by Mr. G. F. Gaumer in flecks or pairs, sometimes in the 

 darkest forests, but more usually in corn-fields. Unfortunately, 

 he tells us nothing further respecting its habits, merely remark- 

 ing that the flesh is delicious. According to Dyson, it frequents 

 the pine ridges, and is very common both in Honduras and 

 Yucatan, moving about in coveys. From Dr. Samuel Cabot's 

 notes we take the following, which give a more detailed account: 

 — " In reading works relating to the discovery and conquest 

 of Yucatan by the Spaniards, we sec mention made of the 

 sacrifices of Quails offered by the natives to their idols; some- 

 times the blood only was offered, and sometimes the whole 

 bDdy. The bird there allude i to is undoubtedly the Ortyx 

 nigrogularis, as this is the only bird called 'Codorniz ' or ' Quail ' 

 by the Spanish residents of the country. The Ortyx nigro- 

 gularis in its note and habits is precisely similar to the O. 

 virginlanus. They whistle the ' Bob-White ' in spring ; their 

 covey-call in the autumn and winter is so precisely the same 

 that they readily answered when I whistled the call of our 

 Quail ; and if I had previously scattered the covey, I could 

 always find them in this way. They feed on similar food, and 

 roost in the same way ; they also sometimes alight on trees, 

 like our Quail. . . . The Maya or Indian name of this bird 

 is Bech, the e pronounced with a guttural sound." 



VIII. THE WHITE-BREASTED CRESTED QUAIL. EUPSYCHORTYX 

 HYPOLEUCUS. 



Eupsyclwrtyx hypokucus, Gould, P. Z. S. i860, p. 62 ; Ogilvie- 

 Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 413 (1S93). 



Adult Male. — Easily distinguished from all the other species of 

 this genus by having the eyebrow-stripes, chin, throat, and 

 under-parts pure white. Total length, 7*8 inches ; wing, 4*1 ; 

 tail, 2-5 ; tarsus, I'l ; middle toe and claw, 1-3. 



Adult Female.— Closely resembles the female of ^. cristaiiiSj 

 but the feathers of the crest are darker. 



