MASSENA QUAIL. 

 Cyrtonyx montezuma mearnsi 



This handsome and highly-colored bird is of the 

 southwest, and until very recently has never been pur- 

 sued for sport, though often killed for meat. In ap- 

 pearance it is unlike any of our United States par- 

 tridges, having large feet, a full, soft crest, and being 

 more or less dotted below with large round spots of 

 pure white. The sides of the head are marked witH 

 black and white stripes; the chin, throat, and a band 

 across the fore neck, are all black ; the crest is brownish ; 

 the upper parts are brown, barred and spotted with 

 black and streaked with white, buff or reddish. The 

 wing quills are spotted with white on their outer webs, 

 while the thighs, belly and under tail coverts are black. 

 The flanks and sides are lead-color, marked with many 

 round spots of pure white, and the middle line is chest- 

 nut. The female is paler everywhere, but has the upper 

 parts streaked and barred as in the male. The head 

 lacks the distinctive white and black stripes, and thq 

 sides are slightly barred with black. Length, 8^2 

 to 9 inches ; wing, about 5, or a little more. This quail 

 is found in western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and 

 well down into western and central Mexico. The typi- 



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