Partridges and Quails of North America. 89 



1.— CO LI X US. 



Tlie (Juail. niosl known all oxer the I'nited States, is 

 indubitably the Bob White — the name Ijeini^ ononiatopceic of its 

 call-note. It belongs to the genus iOliiiits. a word latinized 

 from the hrench " Colin " of I'uffon and other naturalists, and 

 which is i^robabl)- derived from the Mexican name of Colino. 

 It comprises several species and sub-species, differing very little 

 between them, differences wliich, in my opinion, are more 

 climatological than constitiuional or organical. All the 

 Colinus are monogamous, and go in small iiocks called 

 " coveys " formed exclusively from the members of one family 

 or " packs " if in large flocks. Iliey are terrestrial, and nest 

 on the ground, laying numerous white or speckled eggs. Chieflv 

 granivorous, they also eat fruits, insects, buds, and are non- 

 migratory. 



The different species of Colinus are : 



(i) The \'ir(;ixi.\x Boh White (Colinus virginianus). 

 which is the most known of the genus. 



(j) I'liE I'lorida Bob White (Colinus virginianus- 

 iJoridaiius ) which is quite similar to the Virginian form, and 

 resembles also a great deal the Cuban Ouail (Colinus euhan- 

 oisis). The Florida Quail i> found only in the Lower 

 Mississipi \'alley and Florida. 



(3) The Tex.\s Bor. WnriK fColijius z'irginianus texanus) 

 inhabits not only Texas, but goes north as far as Kansas and 

 south into Mexico. It differs very little from the Virginian 

 prototype. 



ll.~OREORTYX. 



The Oreortyx or Plumed Partridge is the largest and 

 handsomest of the Quail family in the U.S. His head is 

 adorned with an arrowy crest of two slender keeled plumes, 3-4 

 inches long in 0, shorter in 9. 



The MouxT.ATx I'artridge (Oreortyx fietus ) is certainly 

 a beautiful Californian bird, living in the mountainous parts ol' 

 the Pacilic Coast region, going- north as far as Washington, and 



