May 16, 1923 Vol. VIII, rr. 79-80 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



NEW ENGLAND ZOOLOGICAL CLUB 



A NEW QUAIL FROM LOWER CALIFORNIA 



BY JAMES LEE PETERS 



Examination of a large series of Lophortyx californica from 

 southern Lower California shows that the birds there represent 

 a well-marked race that I propose to call 



Lophortyx californica achrustera subsp. nov. 



Type, no. 218,093, M. C. Z. (Brewster Coll., no. 18,093), adult male from 

 La Paz, Lower California, collected February 14, 1887, by M. Abbott 

 Frazar. 



Characters. — Similar to Lophortyx californica vallicola (Ridgway), 1 but 

 slightly paler above; band across breast grayer; the buffy patch on the 

 lower breast of the male much paler; dark feather-edgings on the lower 

 breast, middle and sides of abdomen, narrower; flanks paler. 



Measurements (in millimetres). — Twenty-seven males: wing, 100-120 

 (116.3); tail, 74-109 (94.25); tarsus, 27.5-33.0(31.07); bill, 2 15-17 (16.08). 



i Callipepla californica vallicola Ridgway, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., VIII, 1885, p. 355 

 (Baird, Shasta Co., California). 

 2 Twenty-six specimens. 



