124 GALLINACEOUS BIRDS— PARTRIDGES 



in a rail fence, especially when it was overgrown with 

 briers. 



There are a number of varieties (the sub-species of 

 the ornithologists) given in the books, and many at- 

 tempts are made to extend the list. We now have no 

 less than three species : the Bob-white, the Grayson's 

 Bob-white, and the masked Bob-white. Bob-white 

 has two sub-species, the Florida Bob-white and the 

 Texas Bob-white. There are nine additional Bob- 

 whites named and reported in the Auk^ for April, 

 1898, and no doubt, as the politicians say, there are 

 several counties yet to hear from. The sportsmen 

 have little interest in what I have been pleased to call 

 fractional species of birds, and I think they agree with 

 what I said in " The True Game Birds " : " Until the 

 variety-makers find a bird which does not whistle 

 ' Bob-white,* which has not the same pattern or mark- 

 ings, which does in fact differ in some material habit 

 of nesting, rearing its young, feeding, fl^ang, lying 

 well to the dog, or equally well on the plate, the 

 sportsman may well consider the species and sub- 

 species of Bob-white as one and the same." 



White partridges, albinos, have been shot in many 

 places, and mounted specimens may be seen in the 

 museums. They are uncommon. I have never seen 

 one alive. 



