AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 9 



BOBWHITE. 



A. O. yj.J^o. 289. {Cotinuj Virginianus.) 



RANGE. 



Eastern United States, excepting northern Maine and Florida. 

 West to Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska and east Texas. It is gradually 

 finding its way farther west. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Average length, 8.75 inches. Extent of wings, 15.50 inches. 

 Length of tail, 2.75 inches. Color, male, black cinnamon rufous with 

 all the feathers edged with dull yellow and barred with fine lines 

 of black. Primaries dusky. Band of rich brown edged with black 

 extending from the bill through the eye and down the side of the 

 neck, where it is interspersed with a few white feathers; the black 

 edge extends across the breast in a broad band, ending abruptly 

 against the white throat and shading into cinnamon, mixed with 

 white on the breast. Under parts white, slightly tinged with yellow- 

 ish, each feather being crossed by a V-shaped black bar. Sides 

 streaked with cinnafnon and barred with black. Tail ashy gray, with 

 coverts cinnamon, barred with white and streaked with black. 

 Band of white extends from bill over the eye to base of neck. 

 Top of head cinnamon mixed with black. Eyes brown. Feet and 

 legs brown, with toenails and bill black. Female, similar to male, 

 except that throat and band over the eye are buffy instead of white, 

 and the black markings of the male are replaced by a dull brown 

 color. Young very similar to young brown leghorn chickens, 

 except that they are much smaller, being about two and one-quarter 

 inches long. Back brown, under parts buffy white, throat shows 

 indistinctly. Also stripes over eye show though faintly. The 

 black line through the eye shows quite clearly. Bill and feet brown- 

 ish yellow. 



NESTS AND EGGS. 



The favorite nesting-place of the bobwhite is on the ground in 

 a clump of tall grass or weeds. It may be in the corner of some fence 

 up against the side of a stump or a wall. Occasionally the nest is 

 arched over with the grass so as to form a tunnel, completely hiding 

 the nest, but usually it is placed right out open, except as it is con- 

 cealed by the tall grass. 



The number of eggs laid varies from twelve to twenty-five; usu- 

 ally there are about eighteen. They are pure white unless nest 

 stained; quite pointed at one end and rounded at the other. 



