72 GAME BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



account for the bird's apparently scattered dispersion 

 in the districts it frequents. Its indolent ways would 

 seem to oflfer it a prey to any active animal, and doubt- 

 less it is easily secured by Hawks, Owls, and four-footed 

 depredators always on the watch for a toothsome morsel. 

 In some localities where, not long since, it was fairly 

 abundant, as in New Mexico in the vicinity of the Gila 

 River and around Silver City, it has now become scarce, 

 as it proved to be such an easy victim that the coveys 

 were soon decimated or quite exterminated, and unless its 

 disposition becomes greatly changed and it learns how 

 more effectually to protect itself from its enemies, it will 

 probably soon cease to exist after its habitats have been 

 invaded by those who shoot either for pleasure or profit. 



CRYTONYX MONTEZUMA. 



Geographzcal Distribiitioii. — Western Texas, New Mexico, and 

 Arizona. Table-lands of Mexico. 



Adult Male. — Forehead, black; with white stripe passing 

 upward from nostril; top of head, pale brown, barred with black; 

 occiput, richer brown, unmarked, feathers forming a short thick 

 crest; rest of head, white, with a plumbeous stripe from angle 

 of mouth, extending in a curved line to beneath the ears, meet- 

 ing a broader line that crosses it at right angles, and extends 

 from above ears to the lower margin of the black throat; a 

 small triangular curved black patch beneath the eye; the 

 brown color of head is separated from the white b}'^ a nar- 

 row black line ; the white, on side, and fore-neck, is margined 

 beneath by a rather broad black band ; upper parts, reddish 

 brown, barred with black, and streaked with buff; secondaries, 

 pale purplish gray, spotted with black; primaries, dark brown, 

 the outer webs spotted with white; sides of breast and flanks, 

 dark plumbeous, almost black, spotted with white; line through 

 middle of breast, and the belly, dark chestnut; rest of under 

 parts and thighs, velvet}^ black; maxilla, black; mandible, black, 

 with yellowish spot on the side. Total length, 8f inches; wing, 

 5; tail, 2\\ tarsus, i:|:; bill, along culmen, f. 



