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THE WELCOME QUAIL. 



Ortyx Nboxenus. Vic. 



The rare species above iigured belongs to the group of 

 American Quails, characterized at page 29 under the 

 generic name of Ortyx. From some observations, lately 

 offered by Mr. Vigors before the Committee of Science 

 and Correspondence of the Zoological Society, it ap- 

 pears that the number of species of this genus, which 

 until within three years of the present time did not 

 exceed four, or at the utmost five, (some of them very 

 imperfectly known,) has partly by the researches of 

 Mr. David Douglas, and partly by the additions made 

 in various ways to the Society's collection, been in- 

 creased to eleven. Of these no less than seven are 

 contained either in the Museum or the Menagerie of 

 the Society. 



In size the present bird is smaller than the Califomian 

 Quail. Its crest is short, straight, directed backwards, 



