240 



VERTEBRATES : BIRDS. 



closely feathered to the claws. The members of this 

 genus are snow-white in winter ; in summer, more or 

 less marked with black, brown, and yellow. 



The Willow Grouse, or White Ptarmigan, L. albus, 

 Aud., of Northern America, rare in the United States, is 

 fifteen and a half inches long, the wing about eight inches. 

 The Rock Ptarmigan, L. rupestris, Leach, of Arctic 

 America, is fourteen and a half inches long, and the wing 

 seven and a half inches. 



The White-tailed Ptarmigan, L. leucurus, Sw., of West- 

 ern North America, and the American Ptarmigan, L. 

 Americanus, Aud., of the Baffin's Bay region, are addi- 

 tional species. 



PERDICID.E, OR PARTRIDGE FAMILY. This Family 

 comprises birds which differ from the grouse in being 

 much smaller, and in their bare tarsi and naked nasal 

 fossae. They are very numerous, and widely distributed, 

 and not less than forty species belong to America. 



The Genus Ortyx has the bill stout, head without a 

 crest, and the tail short. 



The Quail, O. virgi- 

 nianus, Bonap., of the 

 United States east of 

 the High Central Plains, 

 is ten inches long, the 

 wing nearly four and 

 three quarters inches; 

 prevailing color above, 

 brownish red ; the un- 

 der parts white, tinged 

 with brown before, and 

 marked with obtusely 

 V-shaped spots of black ; 

 the head is beautifully 

 , o Virginian, Bonap. marked with pure white 



Fig. 127. 



