THE PARTRIDGES. 13 



in September again met with quite young birds near the 

 Xiie.-es IJjvi'r. and Dr. Heermann informed him that he 

 had likewise procured eggs near San Antonio late in Sep- 

 tember. He obtained a set of their eggs taken near San 

 Antonio, which are very similar to those of the Ortyx Vir~ 

 ifinianus, but are slightly smaller. Baird, Brewer and Eidg- 

 wau. 



PLUMED PAETEIDGE; MOUNTAIN QUAIL. 



Oreortyx pictus BAIBD. 



Si>. CHAR. Head with a crest of two straight feathers, 

 much longer than the bill and head. Anterior half of the 

 body grayish-plumbeous j the upper parts generally oliva- 

 ceous-brown with a slight shade of rufous, this extending 

 narrowly along the nape to the crest. Head beneath the 

 eyes and throat orange-chestnut, bordered along the orbits 

 and a short distance behind by black, bounded anteriorly 

 and superiorly by white, of which color is a short line be- 

 hind the eye. Posterior half of the body beneath white ; 

 a large central patch anteriorly, (bifurcating behind), with 

 the flanl<s and tibial feathers, orange chestnut-brown; the 

 sides of body showing black and white bands, the former 

 color tinged with chestnut. Under tail-coverts black, 

 streaked with orange-chestnut. Upper tertials margined 

 internally with whitish. Female differing only in slightly 

 shorter crest. Length, 10.50; wing, 5.00; tail, 3.25. Juv. 

 Body, generally, pale brown, the feathers of the upper parts 

 minutely barred with darker, and with medial shaft-streaks 

 of blackish; lower plumage plain brown. Breast clear 

 ashy, presenting a well-defined area. Head pale brown, 

 similar to, but lighter than, the body, with a conspicuous 

 vertical and lateral (auricular) broad stripe of dark umber- 

 brown. Feathers of the flanks blackish, broadly bordered 

 with dingy whitish. A short truncated tuft of hair-like 



