234 ORTYX VlRGmiAiVUS. 



OBTYX VIRGINIANUS. 

 Quail. Partridge. 



Orlyx Viryinianus Bun., Obs. Wjls.: 1825. 



DESCEIPTION. 



Sp. Ch. Fonii, I'omist. Size, large. Sternum, .stout. Tongue, thick, fle-Iiy. liovnv at e.ttreme tip w' ic'i is pointed. 

 Tlie sterno-treacliealis i-j ab.sent, but a stout I;iteral muscle, winch i-; probahiy a U)0<lil:caiion of this, eme'g s from tlie 

 treachea about '25 from the larynx and jiassing back of it, without adhering to it, b. comes atachtd to ih ■ inside of the 

 bronchial tubes near their junction with the larynx. Aportiim of the tympaniform iiiembranei to hesetn ab >?■• tliis junc- 

 tion and the tubes below it are j lined by a rather thick niembraQe. Cooca, 4-()0 long, pm:.ll ;:t 'kis,\ me.:si:iing ab at ('6 

 in diameter, then gra lually enlarging to ahout 20 in diameter, then tapering to 'he blind end, the termination of which is 

 pointed. Feathers of head, slightly elongated. 



Color. Adxilt male. Light chestnut throughout, becoming yellowish on the rump with the feather.^ iibove edue! with 

 buff, and barred and spotted throughout with black and white, w!iile thecentral under portions are yollo\vis'-w! ite. The 

 throat is white, encircled hy a Hue of black. Line passing from bill OTer eye and down neck, alsn white. h;c-.ming huffy 

 posteriorly and preceded above hy a line of black. Wings and tail, brown, the latter having a bluisli tinge, and b,)tli are 

 barred and s]3otted with yellowish and white. 



Adull female. Similar to the male, but the white markings of the head are replaced by buff and the blacl; lining- aie 

 not as prominent. 



Youny Not unlike the adult but are darker as the black markings arc much broader. In a transitii'n;' I stag.-, between 

 this and the down, the feathers are all lined with white. Iris, bili. and feet, brown, in these three siairi s. 



Ncstlinys. Ai-e at first covered witli yellowish-rod d iwn which is lighter lielow, having » cent ■' ii;.c i bi wii on the 

 head, three down the back, and one bshinil eye, of tlie sa;iiJ color. From this, they gradually ; s-ume I ■(• |i'u:Liagi' last dt- 

 gcribed. Bill, iris, and feet, light reddish-brown, in this stage. 



OBESRVATIONS. 



There is considerable variation in plumage. Florida Quail.s Being much darker than Northern birds, c-peciiilly below, 

 where the markinj^s are continuous and wide. Known from all others by the peculiar markings abnut the I.eail and eolir- 

 as described. Distributed, as a constant resident, throughout Eastei'D United States, south of the latitude of Northern 

 Massachusetts. 



DIMEXSIOXS. 

 Average measurements o.'' specimens from Eastern North Ameiica. Length. 93.i; stretch, 1460: wing. 4 5.5; tail. 2 65; 

 hill, '.53; tarsus, I'1'3. Limgesi speciiuen, lt)'2('; greatest extent nf wing, I5'45; lungest wing, 5 10; tail, 300, hill, 6.5; 

 tai-sus, I 25. Shortest speciuien, O'50: smallest extent (jf wing, 13'75; shortest wing, 4'00; tail, 2 3l), hill, 50; tarsus, 1-00. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nis/s, placed on the ground. They are not very elaborate structures, being composed of leaves, weeds, or other con- 

 venient material. 



E(j(js, from eight t.itwen'y in numl>er, decidedly )iyrif)rm in shape, pure white in color, unspotted. Dimensions from 

 ■!t5x I -SO ta lOOs 1-3.5. 



Il.\lilTS. 

 The l)ii-(l now in question, is, as almost every one knows, CiiFlt'd Qnttil in the North 

 niitl Piirtridge in the South, but wide-spread as they are, I think there is ))ut little diiTer- 

 ence in their habits, even in the extremes. Thus Quails which I h;tve I'ouiid tit Miami in 

 Southern Florida, did not behtive much differently from those that I have seen in some sec- 

 tions of Miissaehusetts. It is true, thtit the Florida birds were tamer than those which gen- 

 erally occur in Miissaehusetts, yet I htive seen Quails in the latter named section, which 

 were as unsuspicious as those in Florida. Thus at Mitxmi, it is difficult to make these birds 

 rise, for ti bevy will merely run in front of its pursuer, until its members become so scat- 

 tered in the thick growth of saw palmettos which cover the ground everywhere, that it i.s 

 impossible to follow them, a- when one has left the main body, it ceases to utter the pecu- 



