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CALIFORNIAN PARTRIDGE. 



Perdix Californica, Lath. 



PLATE CCCCXIII. Male and Female. 



This beautiful species was discovered in the course of the voyage 

 of La Perouse, and figured in the atlas accompanying the account of 

 that unfortunate expedition, but without any other notice respect- 

 ing its habits or distribution, than an intimation of its having been 

 foimd abundant in the plains and thickets of California, where it 

 formed large flocks. Dr Townsend has lately sent me a beautiful 

 specimen of the male, which he procured on the 6th of March 1837, 

 near Santa Barbara in California. I have to regret, however, that he 

 has not furnished me with any account of its habits. Mr Nuttall, in 

 speaking to me of this bird, informed me that it is very gentle or con- 

 fident, so as to be in a great measure regardless of the approach of man, 

 that its manners resemble those of our Common or Virginian Partridge, 

 and that the males in spring are seen perched on low bushes, where 

 they utter their love-notes in the same emphatic manner as the species 

 just mentioned. 



Pekdix californica, Lath. Ind. Ornith. Supplt. p. 62. 



Adult Male. Plate CCCCXIII. Fig. 1. 



Bill very short, stout ; its dorsal outline decurved from the base, 

 the ridge narrow, the sides sloping and slightly convex, the edges sharp 

 and overlapping, the tip rather obtuse but thin-edged ; nostrils basal, 

 oblong, operculate, in the fore part of the wide nasal groove, which is 

 partially covered with feathers ; gape-line a little arched ; lower man- 

 dible with the angle short and rounded, the dorsal line ascending and 

 slightly convex, the ridge broad, the sides convex, the edges sharp, the 

 tip obtuse. 



Head of moderate size, ovate ; neck short ; body full. Feet of mo- 

 derate length, stout ; tibia covered to the joint ; tarsus rather short, a 

 little compressed, sharp-edged behind, covered all round with angular 

 scales, of which the anterior are very large ; toes four, the first small, 

 and placed higher than the rest ; the anterior long, rather slender, the 

 fourth considerably longer than the second, the third much the longest, 

 all scutellate above. Claws long, rather slender, arched, rather obtuse. 



Plumage full, firm, blended. Feathers on the fore part of the head 



