66 



FiGGiNS, UUramimde Distinctions. 



[Auk 

 LJan. 



Adult Female. 



Occiput; reddish brown. 



Crest; dusky black. 



Forehead; whitish, streaked with 



gray. 

 Throat; light buff, streaked with 



brown and gray. 

 Chest; buffy gray, median line and 



tips of feathers brown. 

 Inner edge of tertials; buff to creamy 



white. 

 Back, rump, scapulars and tertials; 



grayish brown, quills brown. 

 Tail; dark gray, strongly tinged 



and edged with brown. 

 Sides; light chestnut, streaked 



with white. 

 Flanks ; dark buff to cream , streaked 



with brown. 

 Belly and breast; dark buff to 



creamy white, strongly streaked 



and tipped with brown. 

 Under tail coverts; same as belly, 



but broadly streaked with brown. 

 Feet; brown. 

 Bill; brown. 



Adult Female. 



Occiput; browTiish gray. 



Crest; dark slate. 



Forehead; gray, streaked with 



black. 

 Throat; buffy gray streaked with 



dark gray. 

 Upper chest; gray, quills indistinct. 

 Back of neck; gray, median line 



and tips of feathers dusky gray. 

 Back, rump, scapulars and tertials; 



gray, tinged with white to creamy. 

 Inner edge of tertials; white to 



creamy white. 

 Tail; dark blue-gray, quills brown- 

 ish black. 

 Sides; chestnut brown streaked 



with white. 

 Belly and breast; light creamy 



buff to grayish buff, sparse'y 



tipped and streaked with dark 



gray and brown. 

 Under tail coverts; same as belly, 



but streaked with dark gray. 

 Bill; grayish brown. 

 Feet; light flesh brown. 



From the above descriptions many differences will be noted; 

 but those of major importance, are, the difference in the colors of 

 the occiput, wings, rump, tail and the black of the throat and belly. 

 Another item of equal importance is the uniform persistence in the 

 characters in Colorado specimens and the variation in birds from 

 California.^ Much of the latter difference is no doubt due to se&,- 

 son ; but there is a marked similarity when localities are considered. 



Upon a closer analysis of the colors it is readily seen that the 

 California specimens are invariably modified by reds and browns, 



I Through the kindness of Mr. Joseph Grinnell I have been enabled to examine 

 a series of more than fifty specimens of Gambel'sQuail from California which throws 

 much light upon the subject. These birds were taken at various points in the 

 southern section of the state and the variations in some instances are far more 

 pronoimced than many of the recent separations. Indeed were one inclined to 

 accept the modern methods of creating subspecies there would be little difficulty 

 in making two, and perhaps three or four distinctions. 



