92 Buuk Notices and Rcvieivs. 



of the pkiina.ye of the head of the male hein.y curiously striped 

 and the under parts oceilated. 



The Montezuma Quail (Cyrionyx nwiifcciiniaj is named 

 after the Emperor of Mexico at the time of the Spanish conquest 

 under Fernando Cortez, early in the i6tli century. It is also 

 called the Black Quail, and scjnietimes the Massena Quail, and 

 also the Fool Quail on account of being so easily killed, that 

 the hunters recognize its innocence by that uncomplimentary 

 name, It's a bird of woodlands, inhabiting western Texas, 

 New Mexico and Arizona, and southward far into the interior 

 of Mexico. It is found quite often at an altitude of 9,000 feet, 

 feeding on a certain bulbous root, nesting on the ground, and 

 laying no more than a dozen of pure white eggs. Happily it 

 does not pack in large coveys, otherwise it would have been 

 exterminated long ago, considering its foolishness and the silly 

 short-sightness of the pot-hunters; two fools pitted one against 

 the other ! 



<»X> 



Booh Notices and Reviews. 



A Practical Handbook 01- Bknisir Birds: 'Hiis 

 valuable work is published by Messrs. Witherby and Co., 326 

 High Holborn. London. W'.C. i., and F. Hartert, Annie C. 

 Jackson. Rev. F. C. R. jourdain, C. Oldham. X. Ticehurst and 

 the Editor are the authors responsible for stated sections. With 

 18 coloured plates and numerous text tigures, in 18 montliK- 

 parts, 4s. net per part. Parts I. and II. now ready. 



Part I. has been sent us for review, and we have no 

 hesitation in describing it as a veritable multiim in parvo. 

 valuable alike to the field naturalist, country rambler, scientific 

 ornithologist, and bird-keeper. In fact no student of British 

 bird-life can afford to be without it. While being fully compre- 

 hensive {exhaustive) it is concise, and the information so 

 tabulated as to be of easy reference. 



Full up-to-date information is gi\en under the following 

 headings : 



Description. — Adult jnale and fejiiale — IVinfer and suninier 

 plumages— Xestling — Juvenile — First Zi'inter and summer — 



