466 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Family PERDICID-Sl. — The Partkidges. 



Char. Nostrils protected by a naked scale. The tarsi bare and scutellate. 



The Perdicidm differ from the Grouse in the bare legs and naked nasal 

 fossse. They are much smaller in size and more abundant in species. They 

 are widely distributed over the surface of the globe, a large number belong- 

 ing to America, where the subfamilies have no Old World representatives 

 whatever. The head seldom, if ever, shows the naked space around and 

 above the eye, so common in the Tetraonidce ; and the sides of the toes 

 scarcely exhibit the peculiar pectination formed by a succession of small 

 scales or plates. 



Subfamily ORTYGINiE. 



' Char. Bill stout, the lower mandible more or less bidentate on each side near the 

 end. 



The Ortygince of Bonaparte, or Odontophorince of other authors, are 

 characterized as a group by the bideutation on either side of the edge of 

 lower mandible, usually concealed in the closed mouth, and sometimes 

 scarcely appreciable. The bill is short, and rather high at base ; stouter and 

 shorter than what is usually seen in Old World Partridges. The culmen is 

 curved from the base ; the tip of the bill broad, and overlapping the end of 

 the lower mandible. The nasal groove is short. The tail is rather broad 

 and long. 



Synopsis of Genera found in the United States. 



a. Head without crest. 

 Ortyx. Tail not much more than half the wings ; outstretched feet reach- 

 ing beyond the tail. 



h. Head with a crest of a few long narrow, keel-shaped feathers. 

 Oreortyx. Crest-feathers very long, linear ; tail scarcely more than half 

 the wings; bill stout; claws blunt, the lateral not reaching the base of the 

 middle claw. Toes of the outstretched foot reaching beyond the tail. 

 Lophortyx. Crest-feathers widening much terminally, and recurved at the 

 ends. Tail nearly or quite as long as wings. Bill rather small. Claws 

 acute, the lateral reaching to the base of middle one. Toes not reaching the 

 tip of tail. 



c. Crest soft, full, and tufted; composed of short, broad, 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. 



