THE AUK: 



A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF 

 ORNITHOLOGY. 



Vol. xxxvii. April, 1920. No. 2 



A REVISION OF THE GENUS EUPSYCHORTYX. 



BY W. E. CLYDE TODD. 



Plates V-VI. 



Introduction. 



When, some three years ago, the writer had occasion to take up 

 for identification the gradually increasing series of South American 

 Crested Quails in the collection of the Carnegie Museum, he 

 experienced great difficulty in reaching definite conclusions. Dis- 

 crepancies were evident between the specimens in hand and the 

 published descriptions consulted, and it soon became apparent 

 that the group was sadly in need of revision. Preliminary studies 

 made at that time resulted in the publication of two forms believed 

 to be new. More recently he has been led to take up the whole 

 matter afresh in connection with a new faunal study of the birds 

 of the Santa Marta region of Colombia. For various reasons it 

 has seemed desirable to present the results of this particular 

 investigation in a separate paper, and to go into the subject in 

 more detail than would otherwise be permissible, the more so in 

 view of the fact that the status of the newly described forms has 

 recently been questioned, and that there still seems to be a great 

 deal of uncertainty regarding the relationships and nomenclature 

 of the older forms as well. Such a study has been made possible 

 only through the courtesy of other institutions and individuals 

 in the loan of material, and I have to thank the authorities of 



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