BIRDS—PERDICIDAE—ORTYX. 639 
c. Crest soft, full and tufted; composed of short, broad and depressed feathers. 
CaLLIpepLa.—Crest springing from the crown. Wing coverts normal. Tail stiffened, nearly 
as long as the wings. Claws small, acute, outstretched feet not reaching the tip of tail. 
Cyrtonyx.—Crest occipital. Wing coverts greatly developed. Tail very small and soft; 
half as long as the wings. Toes short; claws very long, blunted; outstretched feet reaching 
much beyond the tip of the tail. 
All the North American quails, except Cyrfonyx massena, have the inner tertiaries edged 
internally with whitish or buff, forming a conspicuous line on the back when the wings are 
closed. 
Comparative measurements of species. 
| | 
Catal. Species. Locality. Sex. Length. Stretch Wing. Tail. Tarsus.) Middle Its claw) Bill |Along Specimens 
No. | of wings toe. alone. | above. | gape. measured. 
| Savannah, Ga. ....., 3 8. 0.8 
9350 | Ortyx texanus..........+++.| Devil’s river, Tex.... 8. 0. 
S200) 14.00! a cancialcccriccac|coacnesenssscces|sieeuausiescste 
3 0 
. 9550) | 142001) 2500 cei ccc seme e ce) --as eacie|/eccneees| sone eee ficaencs 
San Antonio, Tex. .... ¢ 7 0. 
Fort Clark, Tex......, Q | 7. 0. 
New Leon, Mex...... fof 7 9. 
© cee ehO secure eeeseresi eee see 9; | seeses 
+) California..... ...ee | O | 10. | 0. 
Fort Tejon, Cal. 3 | 10. 0. 
-| Tulare valley... A lares } 9. 0. 
Califormia....... Q ce 0. 
New Mexico... 3 9. | 0. 
O36 |eees eras MOwen case feazarsisese| Gilativetiescss.<<see Gu}, 8: 0. 
9386 | Callipepla squamata | New Mexico......... roi ny } 0. 
12) 9. 0. 
3 | 2 0. 
coesee 9.50 | 13.50 | 4.50)... cwcfececcces|eccceceslecsccvcs|evcscees|rcces 
Sol wz | 0. 
SFOs OO), Masacelsscccctoncessnel pcsusacelsseuce sel tecendsalrecens 
8. 0. 
ae } 0. 
ORTYX, Stephens. 
Ortyx, SrepHENs, Shaw’s Gen, Zool. XI, 1519. Type Tetrao virginianus, L. 
Cu.—Bill stout. Head entirely without any crest. Tail short, scarcely more than half the wing, composed of moderately 
soft feathers. Wings normal. Legs developed, the toes reaching considerably beyoné the tip of the tail; the lateral toes short, 
equal, their claws falling decidedly short of the base of the middle claw. 
The genus Ortyx embraces numerous species, more or less resembling the well known Bob- 
white of the United States. They are chiefly confined to Mexico, Central America, and the 
West India Islands. An Ortyx cubanensis, from Cuba, is said by Cabanis to resemble O. texanus 
much more than virginianus, 
. 
