PERDICID.E — THE PARTRIDGES. 



491 



other sppciu.s. Ho reports tlicm as very diHiciilt to shoot, for the reason 

 that, whenever a lievy is disturljed, the birds scatter, and, riiunin,L,' with 

 outstretched necks and erectetl crests, dotlge through the hushes like rah- 

 hits, so as soon to lie out ot reach. He has ihus seen a Hock ot ten or 

 filteen disappear so entirely as to rcnjlcr it iuipossilile to obtain a single 

 one. If left nndisturbcd, they conunencc their call-note, wliich is not unlike 

 the chirp of a chicken, and soon reunite. It was utterly out of the (piestion 

 to get them to rise, and the only way to procure specimens was to shoot 

 them on the ground. Near the small villages in Mexico he found them 

 very tame; and at Presidio, on the liio tirande, he noticed them in a corral, 

 feeding with some jioultry. lie did not meet with their eggs, but they were 

 described to him, by the Mexicans, as dull white, with minute redtlish spots. 

 The egg of the Cullipcplu nqiKDndtw^A regularly oval, lieing nmcli more 

 elongated tlian with any other species of this family. It measures l.;!"* 

 inches in length by .95 in breadth. Its grouml-color is a creamy white, and 

 its surface is minutely freckled with specks of a pale drab. 



Gexus CYRTONYX, (Jori-D. 



Ctjrtonyx, GoULD, Mod. Oilontoiih. ; 184.'>. (Tynr, Ortip: massciia. Lesson.) 



Gkx. Char. Bill very .stout iuid mlxist. llciul with a broad, soft occipital crest of 

 short deeunibont fcather.-j. Tail vi'ry short, liall' the length ol' the wings, couiposfd of 

 soft feather,*, the longest scMii'ely 

 longer than the coverts ; much graihi- 

 nted. Wings long and broad, the 

 coverts and tertials so much enhirged 

 as to conceal the quills. Feet robust, 

 e.xtending considerably beyond the tip 

 of tlie tail. Claws very large, the 

 outer lateral reacliing nearly to die 

 middle of the central anterior. The 

 toes without the claws, however, are 

 very short. Se.xes very dilVerent. 



Cyrtonyr niasseiKi. 



This genus diilers very mtich 

 from its North Americni) allies in 

 the great deveh)i>ment of the 

 feathers composing the wing- 

 coverts, the very .short and soft tail, and the very short toes and long claws. 

 It is almost worthy of forming the tyjie of a ('. inet .subfamily, so many 

 and great are its peculitirities. The single North American representative is 

 the only one of our species with round white spots on the lower surface and 

 black ones above. A second species, C. orvlhttus, is found in Southern Mexico. 

 Tliey may be distinguished as follows : — 



