92 NATURAL HISTORY OF GALLINACEOUS BIRDS. 



tinted with blue or green, or they have broad and 

 conspicuous patches of these colours mingled with 

 the other shades. The females are invariably of a 

 brown or greyish-brown ground tint, barred or waved 

 with black. The plumage of the young differs from 

 both in being of paler shades, and in the markings 

 being more irregular and confused. In the Lago- 

 pus or ptarmigan the males are deep brown or yel- 

 low, barred with black and a lighter shade ; females 

 always of a lighter tint, and the paler markings more 

 conspicuous. In winter the change is to pure white, 

 having the quills or tail-feathers only dark. Among 

 the partridges and quails the difference is not gene- 

 rally so great, but there is always some distinguish- 

 ing mark, often black or deep brown. The wattles, 

 caruncules, and naked spaces, so frequent about the 

 heads of the Pavonidae, we find represented in the 

 beautiful scarlet skin above the eyes, and which in 

 suring becomes much developed and brightened in 

 colour. 



In the arrangement of these birds, Mr Swainson 

 has pointed out what he considers may be the typi- 

 cal forms, although he thinks that a little examination 

 is still necessary. They are Perdix, Tetrao, Cryp- 

 tonix, Ortygis, and Crypturus. We shall now pro- 

 ceed to examine these, together with the different 

 genera whicb bave been established, and shall com- 

 mence with 



