BOBWHITE IN MEXICO 73 



lands, where the tropical forest is interrupted by grassy 

 prairies of considerable extent. In visiting these prai- 

 ries we were surprised and delighted to find another 

 of the bobwhites that had not been previously known 

 even to those most familiar with the ramifications of 

 this good old stock (Colinus godmanl, Nelson. Aft- 

 erward we found them a few miles out of Coatzacoal- 

 cos, and they were also seen a: little farther north, in 

 the open country about the shores of beautiful Lake 

 Catemaco. This latter point is probably near their 

 limit in that direction. 



"The distribution of the Mexican bobwhites is curi- 

 ous, and shows that the family has been long in the 

 land. They range over parts of the cool tableland, and 

 extend down to the tropical lowlands of both coasts, 

 but are unaccountably absent from many apparently 

 suitable places. 



"Many changes have taken place in their garb owing 

 to the influences and requirements peculiar to such va- 

 ried situations, but the general style is retained, so that 

 their relationship cannot be mistaken. 



"A representative of this group lives in Yucatan, 

 which, it is said by some, belongs to the family proper ; 

 but if this is so, there must be a bar sinister on its 

 escutcheon to account for some of its peculiarities. 



"At present eleven branches of bobwhites are known 

 to live in various parts of Mexico, and our work has 

 enabled us to introduce four of them to the friends of 

 the family. Wherever they were encountered over 

 this great area it was interesting to observe how closely 



