564 VIRGINIAN PARTRIDGE. 



face are six longitudinal villous ridges, the intervals between vphich 

 are also covered w^ith prominent villi, as is the whole interior of the 

 intestine. There is no enlargement of the rectum. 



The trachea is 5| inches long, much flattened, at first 3 twelfths in 

 breadth, presently contracting to 2^ twelfths, and so continuing until 

 toward the lower end, where it gradually enlarges to 3j twelfths. The 

 rings are very feeble, slightly ossified, 102 in number, with 2 dimi- 

 diate rings. The lateral muscles are slender, as are the stemo-tra- 

 cheal. There are no inferior laryngeal muscles. 



VIRGINIAN PARTRIDGE. 



Perdix Virginians, Lath. 



PLATE LXXVI. Vol. I. p. 388. 



This species occurs far up the Missouri ; and is extremely abun- 

 dant in the Texas, where it principally keeps on the prairies. In the 

 Floridas I found it all over the pine barrens ; but none were seen on 

 any of the Keys. In the Texas, the Floridas, and as far eastward as 

 the neighbourhood of Charleston, in South Carolina, it breeds twice in 

 the year, first in May, and again in September. The following is an 

 account of some attempts to domesticate this bird made by my friend Dr 

 Bachman : — 



" Several years ago I made an attempt to domesticate the Virginian 

 Partridge, and, contrary to the usually received opinion, I was quite 

 successful. The eggs had been obtained from the fields, and were 

 hatched under a Bantam Hen. By confining the young with their 

 foster-mother for a few days, they soon learned to follow her like 

 young chickens. They were fed for a couple of weeks on cvu'ds, but 

 soon began to eat cracked Indian corn, and several kinds of millet. 

 They were permitted to stray at large in my garden ; but fearing 

 that they might be induced to fly over the enclosure and stray away, 

 I amputated a joint of the wing. There was no difficulty in preserving 

 them during the summer and winter, and they became so very gentle 



I 



