466 NUKTII AMEKIUAN BIRDS. 



Family PERDICIDiE. — The Pautkidoes. 



CiiAR. Xostril.s protfclLMl by u luikuil si;alo. The tai-si bare and suutellato. 



TIk! I'a-il irii((r dilTer Irom ihe (ii'uuse in tlio buro lei^s and naked nasal 

 (Vissio. They aro imicli smaller in size and more abundant in si)ecies. Tiiey 

 are widely distributed over tiie surliiee of tlie j^lolje, a lai'ge number belong- 

 iiii,' to America, where the subt'anulies have no Old World representatives 

 whatever. Tlie head seldom, if ever, shows the jjaked space around and 

 ab(ne the eye, so common in the Tdmonuhr; ami tlie sides of the toes 

 scarcely exhibit the peculiar pectination formed by a succession of small 

 scales or plates. 



SciiFAMii.v ORTYGINiE. 



Char. Bill stout, the Iowit i,iaii,lil,lo iiioiv or los.s ImlcMitato on each side near the 

 end. 



The OHjujincr oi' IJonajiaile, or OdoiitopJiorimr of other authors, are 

 ciiaracterized as a group l)y the bidentation on either side of tiie edge of 

 lower mandible, usually concealed in the closed mouth, and sometimes 

 scarcely apprecialde. The bill is short, and rather high at Iiase ; stouter and 

 shorter than what is usually seen in Old V/orld I'artridges. The culmen is 

 curved from the base; the tip of the bill broad, and overlapping the end of 

 (he lower mandible. The nasal groove is short. The tail is 'rather broad 

 and long. 



Synopsis of Genera found in the United States. 



(t. Heii'l icithiint crest. 



Ortyx. Tail not m.ieh more than ludi' the wings ; outstretched feet reach- 

 ing lieyond the tail. 



h. Head irilh it crest „f u few Jowi narrow. Irel-shuped feathers. 

 Oreortyx. Cre-st-leathers very long, linear ; tail .scarcely niure tlian half 

 the wings; bill stout; el.aws blunt, the lateral not reaching the base of the 

 middle i;law. Toes of the ontstretehed toot reachi.ig l)eyond the tail. 

 Lophortyx. Crest-feathers widening nuieli terminaily, and reiMUVed at the 

 ends. Tail nearly or ([uite as long as wings. Bill" rather small. Claws 

 aeute, the lateral reaching to the base of middle one. Toes not reaching the 

 til) "f ''lil- 



c. Crest soft, fnll, and tufted: composed of short, broad, depressed feathers. 

 Callipepla. Crest springing from the crown. Wing-coverts normal. Tail 

 stiHencd, uearly a.s long as the wing.s. Claws .small, .-.cute; outstretched 

 leet not reaching the lip of tail. 



Cyrtonyx. Cre.-t occipital. Wing-coverts greatly ileveloped. Tail very 

 small and soil ; half a.s long as the wings. Toes short ; claws very long, 

 blunted ; outstretched feet reaching much beyond the tip of tlu- tail. 



