32 ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 



served skins were about the same time brouo-ht to 

 England by Mr. Archibald Menzies, who accompanied 

 Vancouver in his expedition I'ound the world, and who 

 returned to Europe rich in the natural productions of 

 the western coast of America in particular. One of 

 these, deposited in the British Museum, was described 

 and figured by Dr. Shaw in his Zoological Miscellany, 

 and again by Dr. Latham in the Second Supplement 

 to his General Synopsis ; but the bird was still very 

 imperfectly known in this quarter of the globe until 

 Captain Beechey brought over with him during the 

 last year, on his return from his voyage of discovery, 

 a number of living specimens. Unfortunately all the 

 females died on the passage, and of the males, which 

 were presented by that gentleman to the Society, one 

 alone survives. Their manners seem to be identical 

 with those of the Quails and Partridges, but they 

 have a much more erect and graceful bearing. They 

 are perfectly contented in captivity, and bore the change 

 of climate well ; it is therefore much to be regretted 

 that the prospect of naturalizing a bird so neat in its 

 form and markings, and so highly spoken of as an 

 article of food, should have been frustrated for the 

 present, although by unavoidable contingencies. 



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