TETRAONID^— THE GROUSE, ETC. 17 



of this form in southern Illinois is its arboreal habits. The 

 males are repeatedly found uttering their song from the tops of 

 tall trees in densely wooded portions of the bottoms, and when 

 a flock becomes scattered its members would almost invariably 

 take to the trees, and soon their call notes would resound 

 through the forest. Mr. Ridgway's observations regarding the 

 habits of this form in the vicinity of Mt. Carmel coincide with 

 mine, and in his collection also . are extremes of the var. Jlori- 

 dcmus.''^ 



Subsequent consideration of the matter, in the light of much 

 new material, has convinced us that these small, deep-colored, 

 and large-billed quail cannot properly be referred to the Florida 

 form. It is true that some specimens are, as stated above, 

 equally small, as dark colored, and with even larger bills than 

 the typical Florida birds; but the latter are constantly differ- 

 ent in their much less rusty color above, and some other minor 

 particulars as regards plumage. Were the small, dark-colored 

 birds the prevailing form in southern Illinois, they might with 

 propriety be separated from both the typical mrginianus and 

 t\ie floridanus type; but the average style is apparently so 

 nearly intermediate between the two that such separation seems 

 quite unnecessary. 



—3 



