142 BIRDS OF THE BAHAMA ISLANDS. 



FAM. PERDICID^. 



PARTRIDGES. 



ORTYX VIRGINIANUS. (Limi.) 

 Partridge. 



Local Name. — Quail. 



Winter Plumage, Male. — Above, rich brownish red, mottled 

 ^Yith black ; crown, black, shading into brown at the base of the 

 skull, and mottled with black and white on the nape; a white super- 

 ciliary line passing from nostril to nape ; throat, white, bordered 

 broadly with black ; upper breast and sides, reddish brown, shading 

 into white on the belly, the feathers thickly banded with black ; 

 crissum, reddish brown ; tertials and some of the wing-coverts edged 

 Avith yellowish white ; bill, entirely black. 



Winter Plumage, Female. — Resembles the male ; the white of 

 the head and throat replaced by tawny, without black edging. 



Length 8.50, wing 4.50, tail 2.50, tarsus i, bill .52. 



The Quail of the Bahamas differs somewhat from the true O. 

 virgiinaiuts, but not sufficiently, in my opinion, to characterize 

 it as a variety. The differences do not seem to be greater than 



