THE PARTRIDGES. 13 



in September again met with quite young birds near the 

 Nueces River, and Dr. Heermann informed him that he 

 had likewise procured eggs near San Antonio late in Sep- 

 tember. He obtained a set of their eggs taken near San 

 Antonio, which are very similar to those of the Ortyx Vir- 

 ginianus, but arc slightly smaller. — Baird, Brewer and Ri/hj- 

 way. 



PLUMED PARTEIDGE; MOUNTAIN QUAIL. 



Oreortyx pictus — Baird. 



Sp. Char. — Head with a crest of two straight feathers, 

 much longer than the bill and head. Anterior half of the 

 body grayish-plumbeous ; the upper parts generally oliva- 

 ceous-brown with a slight shade of rufous, this extending 

 narrowly along the nape to the crest. Head beneath the 

 eyes and throat orange-chestnut, bordered along the orbits 

 and a short distance behind by black, bounded anteriorly 

 and superioi-ly by white, of which color is a short line be- 

 hind the eye. Posterior half of the body beneath white ; 

 a large central patch anteriorly, (bifurcating behind), with 

 the flanks and tibial feathers, orange chestnut-brown; the 

 sides of body showing black and white bands, the former 

 color tinged with chestnut. Under tail-coverts black, 

 streaked with orange-chestnut. Upper tertials margined 

 internally with whitish. Female diftering only in slightly 

 shorter crest. Length, 10.50; wing, 5.00; tail, 3.25. — Juv. 

 Body, generally, pale brown, the feathers o*f the upper parts 

 minutely barred with darker, and with medial shaft-streaka 

 of blackish ; lower plumage plain brown. Breast clear 

 ashy, presenting a well-defined area. Head pale brown, 

 similar to, but lighter than, the body, with a conspicuous 

 vertical and lateral (auricular) broad stripe of dark umber- 

 brown! Feathers of the flanks blackish, broadly bordered 

 with dingy whitish. A short truncated tuft of hair-like 



