THE COLINS OR EOB-WHITES. T35 



Range.— Central America ; Guatemala. 



THE COLINS OR BOB- WHITES. GENUS ORTYX. 



Ortyx, Steph. in Shaw's Gen. Zool. xi. p. 376 (1819). 

 Type, O. vh'giniaiius (Linn.). 



Sexes different in plumage. No distinct crest. 



First primary flight-feathers intermediate i?i length between 

 the seventh and eighth ; fourth slightly the longest. 



Tail composed of twelve feathers, rather more than hai/\\\Q 

 length of the wing. 



Tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw. 



Ten small Quail-like forms are known. 



I. THE VIRGINIAN COLIN OR BOB-WHITE. ORTVX VIRGINIANUS. 



Tetrao virginiafius, T. marilandicus^ and T. niexicanus, Linn. 



S. N. i p. 277 (1766). 

 Perdix virginiana, Wilson, Am. Orn. vi. p. 21, pi. xlvii. 



(1812); Aud. Orn. Biogr. i. p. 388, pi. 76 (1831), v. p. 



564 (1839). 

 Ortyx virginiimus, Aud. B. Amer. v p. 59, pi. 289 (1842); 



Gould, Monogr. Odontoph. pt. i. pi. 1 (1844); Ogilvie- 



Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. p. 415 (1893). 

 Colinus virginiaims, Bendire, N. Am. B. p. i. pi. i. fig. i. [egg]. 



(.892,) 



Adult Male — Chin and throat white^ surrounded by a black 

 band ; a black band kom the gape to the chestnut ear-coverts; 

 feathers of the mantle vinaceous-rufous, the edges grey, barred 

 with black; middle of the breast and belly white or whitish- 

 buff, with the V-shaped black bars narrower and less marked. 

 Total length, 8*5 inches; wing, 4-5, tail, 2-5; tarsus, 1*2; 

 middle toe and claw, 1-45. 



Adult Female — Distinguished from the male by having the 

 throat bright buff, the black bands from the gape to the ear- 

 coverts and round the throat ill-defined, and the black bars on 



