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body chestnut ; breast tinged with yellow ; abdomen white, which, 

 with the breast, is marked with curved bands of black ; lower tail 

 coverts brownish-red, spotted with white, with central arrow-head 

 shaped, black markings; tail bluish, freckled toward the end with 

 brownish-red, dusky, and dull white. Length nine inches and a 

 half, wing four and seven-eighths. 



Before Ornithological observations were made to any extent in 

 this country, it was by many supposed that the American Partridge 

 was identical with the European Quail, which name has been be- 

 stowed upon it and continued generally, in the State of New York 

 and in the Eastern States, to this day ; and at this time, there are 

 some who consider it a variety of the European species, and at- 

 tribute the difference in size and markings to the effect of climate. 



To those persons who are in the habit of comparing birds, 

 only a slight comparison is necessary to convince them that this 

 bird is peculiar to America. It is at least one-third larger than 

 the European Quail, with the bill, tarsi, and feet much stronger 

 — the tail feathers longer and of a different color, as is its gen- 

 eral appearance, although in form it resembles the Quail of Eu- 

 rope. Naturalists having placed this class of North American 

 birds under the Genus Ortyx, (Partridge,) we have, therefore, 

 properly speaking, no Quail in this country. 



Four species of Partridge are known to inhabit North America — 

 the California, [Ortyx Californica,) Plumed, {Ortyx plumifera,) and 

 Welcome, (Ortyx neoxenus,) have only been found in the 

 western part of the continent. The present, the only species found 

 within the limits of the United States, is very generally distributed 

 throughout the Union, though more abundant in the interior. In the 

 month of January, I met it in great numbers in the States of 

 Indiana and Ohio. In the Western States, shot guns and pointer 

 dogs are but little used. The hunters find sufficient employment for 

 their rifles among larger game, and consider the common American 

 Partridge too insignificant to waste their ammunition upon, while 

 their tables are supplied with the savory flesh of the Wild Tur- 

 key and Deer. Thus this species continues to multiply, 

 having nothing to contend with except the severity of the wea- 



