SUBFAMILY ODONTOFHORIN^. 195 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 

 A. Crest very long and mostly straight. 



a. Above: deep olive-brown from crest to ] ^^ountain par- 

 end of tail-coverts. f tridge. 



^ O. pictiis. 



-\ PLUMED PAR- 



b. Above: hind-neck and upper back gray- | tridge. 

 ish blue. f O. p. plumi- 



^ ferus. 



c. Above: ashy brown with slight olive- ) ^'"^-"^ ^^^^° 

 wash. - partridge. 



) O. p. confinis. 



The differences between the last bird and the O. p. pliiiniferiis, 

 as given by its describer, are so very slight, viz. : " grayer upper 

 parts and thicker bill," that an ornithologist would naturally 

 hesitate before giving it any separate rank, even a subspecific 

 one, until he found characters more decisive and important, that 

 would enable the bird to be recognized from its fellows. Relative 

 proportions of bills, unless very unusual, are notoriously unreli- 

 able, and prove generally to be a most unsatisfactory foundation 

 on which to base specific or subspecific forms, and slight shades of 

 color are not much more to be depended on, 



GENUS CALLIPEPLA 



(Greek, icaXXiTrcTrXos, Kallipeplos, beautifully arrayed). 



Callipepla, Wagler. Isis., 1832, p. 277. Type, C. strenua, 

 Wagl. — Ortyx squamatiis, Vig. 



Crest full, and short, of two colors blending with feathers of 

 the crown. No distinction in plumage of sexes. 



I have included but one species and one subspecies in this 

 genus, contrary to the arrangement of the A. O. U. check list, for 

 I cannot satisfy myself that birds so essentially different as the 

 Scaled Partridges, and those represented by Gambel's, the Cali- 

 fornia Partridge, etc., can properly be placed in the same genus. 

 The crests are entirely different in structure, that of the Scaled 

 Partridge being more like that of Bob White and its allies, while 



