THE COLIN. 159 



selecting the closest and most thickly covered, so that it 

 is often almost impossible to discover more than half the 

 number of the covey among the sheltering foliage. 



The American Colin (Ortyx Virginiana) is one of the 

 prettiest and most interesting little game-birds of Canada. 

 Though called the "quail," and sometimes the "partridge," 

 it is a totally distinct genus from both of them. Larger 

 than the former, it yet bears a general resemblance to it, 

 whilst at the same time it presents some points of simi- 

 larity to the latter, to which it is in turn much inferior 

 in size. In point of fact it belongs to an intermediate 

 family (Ortygince) peculiar to the Old "World, and con- 

 stituting a sub-family of the Perdicidce. 



With regard to its usual misnomers, Baird* says, 

 " Where this bird is called quail, the Ruffed-grouse, it 

 will be found, is generally called partridge ; and where it 

 is called partridge the larger species is known as the 

 pheasant. In reality, however, no one of these names 

 can be correctly applied to any American species ; though 

 to call the Ruffed-grouse a partridge is perhaps a worse 

 misnomer than to apply the same name to the Ortyx." 



The latter is characterized by the great comparative 

 depth and thickness of the bill, by very short rounded 

 wings, and proportionally heavy body. The following 



* Birds of North America. 



