312 ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 



and composed of about half-a-dozen elongated feathers, 

 of the same pale brown colour as the forehead in front 

 of them. Round the eyes the brown becomes much 

 paler, but assumes a rufous tinge as it passes back- 

 wards on either side of the head in two stripes extend- . 

 ing from above and below the eye. Between these 

 stripes, and on the lower and back part of the neck, 

 a number of pale brown and somewhat pointed feathers 

 alternate with broad black ones. The back is of a 

 grizzled brown, with much darker patches ; and this 

 colouring extends to the tail, which is crossed by about 

 eight wavy irregular lines of very pale brown. The 

 wing-coverts are dark brown with light margins ; and 

 the quill-feathers dusky brown, some of them slightly 

 marked on the edges with paler spots. The under 

 surface of the body is dark brown, copiously marked 

 with rounded spots, which are nearly of a pure white ; 

 they commence small on the neck, where they are 

 somewhat dingy, and increase in size as they proceed 

 backwards. The bill is black ; the iris pale brown ; 

 and the claws horn-coloured. 



From this description it will be seen that our birds 

 ditfer in several particulars from the Ortyx cristatus 

 and Sonninii ; but it is possible, as Mr. Vigors has 

 remarked, that they may be the females or young 

 males of one or other of those species, which we have 

 not had an opportunity of observing in nature. 



The specimens in the collection having been pur- 

 chased from a dealer, we cannot state with certainty 

 from what locality they were brought; but as all the 

 other species of the group are natives of America, 

 there can be little doubt of their coming from the same 

 quarter ; and probably from the northern parts, as they 

 have borne with ease the severity of two winters in 

 company with the Californian species. 



