ORTYX viROiyiAXUs. 355 



ORTYX VIRQINIANUS. 



Quail. Partridge. 

 Ortyx Viryinianiu BON., Ohs. Wils.; 1P28. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. CH. Fonn, robust. Size, Inrge. Sternum, stout. Tongue, thick, fleshy, homy at extreme tip which is pointed. 

 The -t.-rii..-tnaeheali- i~ al seut, l.ut a stout lateral muscle, which is probably a moditieation of thi-, . , the 



treaehea about '86 from the larynx ami passing ba.-k ..fit, witli.mt adhering to it, beooaai ana. !.,.! to the innde of the 

 hronehial tubes near their .junction with the larynx. A portion of the tynipaiiifurm membrane H tol.esei-n ab m this june- 

 ti.m and the tul.es below ii are joined by a rather tliiek membrane. I'.iv-i, HHl long, small at base, me.,-ming about -06 

 in diameter, then gra lually enlarging to ab,,ut ^'Oin diameter, then tapering to 'he blind end, the teimination uf which is 

 pointed. Feather of head, slightly elongated. 



Color. Adult ma/f. Light chestnut throughout, looming yellowish on the rump with the feathers above edged with 

 bull', and barre.i and sp .tied throughout with black and white, while the central under portionsare yellowish-white. The 

 throat is white, eneireled by a line of black. Line passing from bill over eye and down neck, also white, becoming huffy 

 posteriorly and preceded abo\e liy a line of black. Wings and tail, brown, the latter having a bluish ti: .th are 



barred and spotted with yellowish and white. 



Adult female. Similar to the male, but the white markings of the head are replaced by buff and the black linings are 

 not as prominent. 



\'ouni/ Not unlike the adult but are darker as the black marking? are much broader. In a transitional stage, between 

 this and the d >wn. the feathers arc all lined with white. Iris, hill, and feet, brown, in these three stii^ 



*<i.it/int/.i. Area! lirst covered with yellowish-red down which is lighter below, having n central line of brown on the 

 head, three down the back, and one behind eye, of the same w'.or. From this, they gradually assume the plumage last de- 

 scribed. Bill, iris, and feet, light reddish-brown, in this stage. 



OBESRVATION8. 



There i^ con iderable variation in plumage, Florida Quails being much darker than Northern birds, especially below, 



where the markings are continuous and wide. Known from all others by the peculiar markings about the head and colors 



rilx-l. Distributed, as a constant resident, throughout Eastern United States, south of the latitude of Northern 



Massachusetts. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 9'35; stretch, 14-60; win(f,4'5. r >. tail, 2 65; 

 bill, -55; tarsus, l-|2. Longest specimen, IO-2C; greatest extent of wing, 15'45; longest wing, 5'lO; tail, 3'00; bill, "65; 

 tarsus, I 25. Shortest specimen, &'50; smallest extent of wipg, !3'?5; shortest wing, 4'0); tail, 2'30; bill, 'SO; tarsus, TOO. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed on the ground. They are not very elaborate structures, being composed of leaves, weeds, or other con- 

 venient material. 



I-';/!/*, from eight to twenty in number, decidedly pyriform in shape, pure white in color, unspotted. Dimensions from 

 95x1-30 to l-OOxl'35. 



HABITS. 



The bird now in question, is, as almost every one knows, called Quail in the North 

 and Partridge in the South, but wide-spread as they are, I think there is but litth; dill'cr- 

 ciu !' in their habits, even in the extremes. Thus Quails which I have found at .Miami in 

 Southern Florida, did not behave much differently from those that I have seen in s.niii 

 tions of Massachusetts. It is true, that the Florida birds were tamer than those \\ liicli gen- 

 erally occur in Massachusetts, yet I have seen Quails in the latter named section, uhidi 

 were as unsuspicious as those in Florida. Thus at Miami, it is diHicult to make these birds 

 rise, for a bevy will merely run in front of its pursuer, until its members become so scat- 

 tered in the thick growth of saw palmettos which cover the ground everywhere, that it is 

 impossible to follow them, as when one has left the main body, it ceases to utter the 



