234 PERDICIN^E. 



FAMILY XXX. PERDICIN^;. PERDICINE 

 BIRDS, OR PARTRIDGES. 



Birds of small or moderate size, having the body full, 

 the neck short, or moderate ; the head rather small and 

 oblong ; bill short, stout, broader than high at the base ; 

 upper mandible with its dorsal line at first straight, then 

 arcuato-declinate, the edges sharp and overlapping, the 

 tip sharp-edged and rounded ; lower mandible narrower, 

 with the dorsal line slightly convex, the edges involute, 

 the tip narrowed but obtuse ; gape-line arched. Both 

 mandibles internally concave ; tongue short, triangular, 

 flat above, and acute ; mouth rather narrow ; oesophagus 

 narrow, but opening into a very large globular crop ; pro- 

 ventriculus bulbiform ; stomach a powerful, roundish, 

 compressed gizzard, with strong muscles, radiated ten- 

 dons, and dense, longitudinally rugous epithelium ; intes- 

 tine of moderate length ; cceca very large, oblong, inter- 

 nally ridged. Nostrils oblong, operculate, in a rather 

 broad feathered membrane. Eyes of moderate size. Legs 

 short or moderate ; tarsus with a double row of scutella 

 before, plain or spurred behind ; toes rather strong, scu- 

 tellate, three before, one behind, very small or sometimes 

 wanting ; claws rather strong, arched, obtuse. Plumage 

 full, the feathers with large plumules; wings short, broad, 

 concave, rounded ; tail of twelve or more feathers, gene- 

 rally short, and even or rounded. 



There is little essential difference between the large, 

 long-tailed birds, called Cocks and Pheasants, and the 

 small, short-tailed species called Partridges and Quails. 

 Their habits also are essentially similar. The Par- 

 tridges are generally distributed, but more abundant in 

 the temperate and warmer regions. One species is plen- 

 tiful in Britain, another rare and migratory, and two par- 

 tially naturalized. 



