TETRAONIDEH, GROUSE, PARTRIDGES. —GEN. 185, 186. 237 
having the throat buff instead of white, less black about the fore parts, and 
general colors less intense; rather smaller than the g. 9-10; wing 44-5; 
tail 23-3. Eastern United States to high central plains; the characteristic 
game bird of this country. Eggs white. Wuts., vi, 21, pl. 47; Nurt., i, 
Pee UD: nV ,0005) Dl.e2Ouise DD, 6405: ls os) eo tte ces SVIRGINEANUS. 
Var. FLORIDANUS Cougs, 7. v. Rather smaller, the ¢ about the size of the? 
virginianus, but bill relatively larger, and jet-black; colors darker, all the black 
markings heavier. Florida (Allen) ; an approach to the Cuban form (0. cubanensis). 
Var. TExANUS Lawr., Ann. Lyc. N. Y., vi, 1853, 1; Bpo., 641. Size of florida- 
nus; colors paler, the prevailing shade rather gray than brown; upper parts much 
variegated with tawny. Texas. 
Ozs. Among the thousands of bob-whites yearly destroyed, albinotic or melan- 
otic, and other abnormally colored specimens, are frequently found; but the 
percentage of these cases is nothing unusual, and the sportsman must be cautioned 
against supposing that such birds have any status, in a scientific point of view, 
beyond their illustration of certain perfectly well known variations. Such speci- 
meus, however, are interesting and valuable, and should always be preserved. 
185. Genus OREORTYX Baird. 
Plumed Partridge. Mountain Quail of the Californians. With an 
arrowy crest of two slender “keeled feathers, 3-4 inches long in the g 
when fully developed, shorter in the 9. An 
elegant species, much larger than the bob- 
white, inhabiting the mountainous parts of 
California and Oregon. A foot long; wing 
over 5 inches; tail over 3; whole foot about 
3; Qrather less. Hinder half of body above, 
with wings and tail, rich dark olive-brown, 
the inner edges of the inner quills brownish- 
white; hinder half below purplish-chestuut, 
barred with white, black and tawny; fore 
parts above and below slaty-blue (above : 
more or less glossed with olive, below finely : : 
marbled with black), the chin and throat eal 
purplish-chestnut, edged with black and EsGe dp es Murad t erenaee, 
bounded by a white stripe meeting its fellow under the bill; 9 sufficiently 
similar. AvuD., v, 69, pl. 291; Nutr., i, 2d ed. 791; Bop., 642; Coor., 
SE to ct earae Mace ob ioe sg sy, Maske. os e PIOLUS: 
186. Genus LOPHORTYX Bonaparte. 
*,* With an elegant crest, recurved helmet-wise, of several (6-10) keeled, 
clubbed, glossy black imbricated feathers, more than an inch long when fully 
developed; in the ¢, smaller, of fewer feathers. Bulk of the bob-white, but 
longer; 10-111; wing 4 or more; tail 3 or more. @ with the chin and throat 
_ jet-black, sharply bordered with white; a white line across the vertex and along 
the sides of the crown, bordered behind by black; 9 without these head-markings. 
