S6 BULLETIN UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. [FoZ.V. 



Ortyx YTRGiNLAisrA, (L.) Bp. — Virginia Partridge; Quail. 



Sexes may be distiiiguislied. by color. 



TMs is tie Virginia Partridge or Quail : Bob AVhite. Wberever the Euffed Grouse 

 is called "Partridge" in the New England and Middle States, this bird is there known 

 as '-Quail," and wherever in the Southern States the Eufted Grouse is called "Pheas- 

 ant," this bii'd is there known as "Partridge." 



Head completely feathered, the crown ones somewhat lengthened and erectile, but 

 hardly forming a true crest. Forehead, a line over the eye, and the throat white, 

 bordered with black; crown, neck all round, and upper part of breast brownish-red; 

 other under parts tawny-whitish, all with more or fewer doubly crescentic black 

 bars ; sides broadly streaked with brownish-red ; upper parts variegated with chest- 

 nut, black, gray, and tawny, the latter edging the inner cxuills. $ known by having , 

 the throat buff instead of white, less black about the fore jjarts, and general colors 

 less intense ; rather smaller than the ^ : 9-10 inches long ; vring 4^5 ; tail 2^-3. 



Eastern United States to liigli central plains ; the characteristic game 

 bird of this country. Missouri Eiver as high as Fort Sully, Dakota, 

 where I saw them in 1871. 



CHAEADEIID^. 



Sqitataeola helvetica, (L.) Cut. — BIacl--hellied Flover. 



Sexes are alike in color. 



A small hind toe, hardly J inch long (this is the only 4-toed Plover treated of in this 

 pamphlet) ; pltimage speckled. Adult in breeding season (rarely seen in the United 

 States) : face and entire under parts black, upper parts variegated with black and 

 white or ashy; tail barred Avith black and white; quills dusky, with large white 

 patches. Adult at other times (and this is the plumage in which seen iu Dakota) and 

 young : below, white, more or less shaded with gray, the throat and breast speckled 

 with dusky ; above, blackish, speckled with white or yellowish ; the rump white, with 

 dark bars ; legs dull bluish. Old birds changing show every grade, ti'om a few iso- 

 lated black feathers on the under parts to numerous large black patches. Length 

 11-12 ; "vving 7 or more ; tail 3 ; bill l-lj. 



I have only observed this bird in Dakota Territory during the fall 

 migration. 



During the migTations I have kept a sharp watch for the Black-bellied 

 Plover, but I have not yet discovered the bird passing this region dur- 

 ing the spring; it arrives, however, on its southern flight, about Octo- 

 ber 25, and remauis in this vicinity for four or five days, during which 

 time it is seen iu considerable numbers. 



It may be that this Plover has succeeded in eluding my search during 

 the spring, and that it does really pass this region. I have elsewhere 

 mentioned in these notes of this bird being one of the two exceptions, 

 falling under my notice here, of a migratory bird appearing in the fall 

 that is not known to x^ass this region during the sjiring. The other 

 e:^ception is that of the Blue Goose, which, if a valid species, we shoidd 

 naturally expect to find passing this region, as being within the normal 

 migratory spring range of its kind. But with the Black-bellied Plover 

 the case is different : its normal spring liae, so far as is now known, is 

 not near as far inland as Dakota. 



