RASORES : PERDICJ'DjE. 



241 



Fig. 128. 



and black. The female has the white markings of the 

 head replaced by brownish yellow, and the black want- 

 ing. In New England, New York, and westward, this 

 bird is called the Quail ; but in Pennsylvania and south- 

 ward it is called the Partridge. Its clear whistle is com- 

 posed of three notes, the first and last of equal length, 

 the first being loudest. The nest is built near a tuft of 

 grass ; eggs ten to eighteen, pure white. 



The Texas Quail, O. texanus, Lawr., of Texas, is very 

 similar to the preceding. 



The Mountain Quail, 

 O. pictus, Baird, of the 

 Mountain ranges of Ore- 

 gon and California, is ten 

 and a half inches long, 

 and the wing five inches. 



The Genus Lophortyx 

 has the head with a crest 

 of lengthened feathers 

 springing from the ver- 

 tex, the shafts in the same 

 vertical plane. 



The California Quail, 

 L. calif ornicus, Bonap., of 

 California and Oregon, is 

 nine and a half inches long, the wing over four and a 

 quarter inches ; the forward half of the body, and upper 

 parts, plumbeous ; the crest black. 



Gambel's Partridge, L. Gambelli, Nutt., of the Rio 

 Grande to California, is nine and a half inches long, and 

 the wing four and a half inches. 



The Genus Callipepla has a broad, short, depressed crest 

 of soft, thick feathers. It is represented by the Scaled 

 or Blue Partridge, C. squamata, Gray, of the Rio Grande. 



The Genus Cyrtonyx has the wings long and broad, 



Mountain Quail, or Plumed Partridge, 

 Oreortyx pictus, Baird. 



II 



