Birds of Pennsylvania. 47 



OuDETi gallinj:. Gallinaceous bieds. 



Suborder PHASIANI. Pheasants, Quail, Etc; 



Family TETRAONID-S:. Grouse, Etc 



Subfamily PERDICIN^ffi. Partridges. 



Genus COLINTJS. Lesson. 



289. Colinus virginianus (Linn.). 



Bob-white. 



Description. (Plate 12.) 



Forehead, and line through the eye and along the side of the neek, with chin and 

 throat, while ; a band of black across the vertex, and extending backAvards on the 

 sides, within the white, and another from the maxilla beneath the eye, and crossing 

 on the lower part of the throat ; the under parts are white, tinged with brown an- 

 teriorly, each feather with several narrow, oljtusely Y-shaped bands of l)lack ; the 

 forepart of back, the side of the breast and in front just below the black collar, of a 

 dull pinkish-red ; the sides of body and wing coverts brownish-red ; the latter al- 

 most uniform, without indications of mottling ; scapulars and upper tertials coarselj- 

 blotched with black, and edged internally with brownish-yellow ; top of head red- 

 dish; the lower part of neck, except anteriorly, streaked with white and black; 

 primary quills, unspotted brown ; tail, ash ; iris, brown. 



Female with the white markings of the head and throat replaced by Innwnish- 

 yellow ; the black wanting. 



Length, about 10 inches; extent, about 15; wing, about 4.70; tail, 2.75 inches. 

 This species is subject to considerable variation, both in size and color. 



JRTrt?;.— Eastern United States and southern Canada from southern Maine to tlie 

 South Atlantic and (xulf States ; west to Dakota, eastern Kansas and eastern Texas. 



This species is found in Pennsylvania at all seasons, j'et I am fully 

 convinced that the great majority of those that breed here migrate in 

 the autumn southward. During the lall and particularly in the month 

 of October, I have observed flocks, consisting of several families and 

 numbering from sixty to a hundred or more individuals engaged in 

 such migrations. Partridges at all seasons other than when breeding 

 are gregarious. When not migrating we find them, in flocks of twelve 

 to fifteen each, frequenting fields and swamps usually near the bor- 

 ders of woods or thickets, to which they speedily repair when dis- 

 turbed. Early in April these birds pair and about the first of May 

 commence nesting. The nest is always placed on the ground, gener- 

 ally in a slight hollow, and is constructed chiefly of small twigs and 

 grass. The nest is usually placed in a grass field, concealed by a 

 high tuft of grass or protected by a thick overhanging bush. The 

 eggs are white, pear-shaped, and although varia])le, generally num- 

 ber about fifteen. The birds are mainly terrestrial in habits. In the 

 autumn and winter when continually pursued by sportmen and dogs, 

 they oftentimes when flushed seek refuge in trees ; they usually alight 



