194 GAME BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



A. Adult Males. — Lower parts, white, irreg- 

 ularl}' barred with black. 

 a. Throat, white. 

 a . Band on breast. 

 a!' . Breast band, light chestnut, inner \ bob white, 

 edges of tertials, deep buff. f C. virgmmnus. 



TEXAN BOB 

 WHITE. 



C. V. texanus. 



b" . Breast band, pale cinnamon ; inner 

 edges of tertials, biiffy white. 



b' . No band on breast. 



B. Adult Male. — Lower parts, cinnamon- | 

 rufous. Throat, black. 



FLORIDA BOB 

 WHITE. 



C. V. florid anus. 



MASKED BOB 

 WHITE. 



C. ridgwayi. 



GENUS OREORTYX 

 (Greek, 3pos, 07-os, a mountain; 4- 6pTi;|, urtyx, a quail). 



Oreortyx, Baird. B. North Am., 1858, p. 642. TygQ Ortyx 

 picta.y Dougl. 



Head with a long, slender crest, consisting of two feathers, either 

 standing upright or inclining slightly backward. Tail broad, 

 rounded, almost hidden by upper coverts. Tarsus equal to 

 middle toe and claw. 



One species and two subspecies of this genus are recognized, 

 but there is so very slight a difference between the subspecies 

 that a close examination is required to separate them, especially 

 if the locality of the specimens is unknown. They are among 

 the most brilliantly plumaged members of the family and of a 

 larger size and greater weight than the other North American 

 Partridges. Strictly mountain dwellers, they are found in the 

 summer at very high elevations. Their coloring is peculiar, be- 

 ing massed in large areas and of strongly contrasting hues. 

 There is considerable difference in the appearance of the sexes, 

 the female being less gaudily attired and with a much shorter 

 crest. 



