J'EUDICIDJ.: - THE J'ARTlilDGES. 



4G7 



All the ZN^crtli Ain.;ric(in Qnails, oxeopt Cinionn.r numaia, have the inner 

 torlianes edged nilernally wilJi whilLsh or hull', lunning a conspicuous line 

 on each side oi the rump when the wings are closed. 



Genus ORTYX, Strphens. 

 Orliix, Stephens, Shaw's (!..„. Zoi.l. X). i,si-i. (Type., r.l.;,,, rh-;nmmv>s; I.) 



Gkn C,.A.!. JJillsto.X. Ilea.l ontiMy without any nvst. Tail .hort, soarndv more 

 than hall the win- .omposod of niudfiatuly soft leathers. WinRs nonual. Lt-/duvd- 

 oped, the toes r(Ni(liin;r considerahly 

 beyond the tip of the tail; the lateral 

 toes short, equal, their elaws rallinn- 

 decidedly short of the base of the mid- 

 dle claw. 



The genus Orfi/.r endmces 



numerous s])ecies, more oi' less 



resend)ling the well-known Uuh- 



white of the I'luted States. Tluiy 



are chiefly confined to Mexico, 



Central America, and the West 



India Islands. Xortli America 

 and the West India Islands con- 

 tain hut one species, and this is 

 so exceedingly variai,l,, in ,>lumage that it is only at extreme points of its 

 range that diflerent'os ac(piire sufhciciit constancy to he considered worthy 

 of esi-ecial notice. The regions of its extremes of variation are the n.,rth- 

 eastern, southeastern, and southwestern limits of its range ; the modifica- 

 tions attauiing in Cuha and in Texas sufficient value to have heen deemed 

 of s].ecific importance. But comparing even the three extremes of pluma-re 

 the differences tire found to consist only in a varying amount of tlie several 

 col(jrs, specimens from intervening I'egions forming the connecting links. 



Species and Varieties. 



O. virginianus. Head longitudinally striped, with a dark superior and 

 lateral stripe, a lifrht siipereiliary stripe (continuing down the side of the 

 neck), and a light -.dar patch ; these stripes blackish and pure white in the 

 male, and rusty and oohraceous in the f.Mnale. Above inottle.l with rusty 

 and grayish; the latter pr(>vailing posteriorly, the former anteriorlv. Upper 

 part of the rnmi., scapulars, and upper wing-coverts more or less bhtehed 

 with black. Beneath whit(., with transverse, somewhat V-sliapcd bars of 

 black ; sides striped with rufous ; lower tail-coverts rufous, with black 

 medial arrow-head, and both webs tipped with ronndisli spots of rusty 

 white. •' 



Orli/r i-irsininnim. 



