242 Mr. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant on American Gallinse. 
Mr. Nelson thinks that he has discovered that the Odonto- 
phorus meleagris Wagl. \_cf. Isis^ 1832, p. 278 (not p. 277 as 
stated in the Cat. Birds and copied by Nelson) is a species 
distinct from C. montezumae. 
He says: — ^^This Partridge {C. merriami) appears to be 
closely related to Odontophorus meleagris Wagler (Isis, 1832, 
p. 277), but dififers in having the white spots of the flanks on 
a background of ashy gray instead of black. Like that 
species it lacks the white collar on the neck, which in 0. munte^ 
zumce separates the black of the throat from the chestnut 
of the breast. Heretofore 0. meleagris has been placed as a 
synonym of 0. montezumcB, but the discovery of C. merriami 
with the same general style of markings given for 0. meleagris 
indicates that the latter is probably a well-marked species 
which has failed of recognition through lack of material. It 
was described from Mexico and should take its proper place 
in ornithological literature.^' Now there cannot be the 
slightest doubt that O. meleagris Wagl. is a mere synonym 
of C. montezumcs. Either Mr. Nelson has not read Wagler's 
description or has failed to understand it. Wagler very 
clearly states that his bird has a white collar, for he writes : 
'^ fascia colli inferioris ... * sericeo-alba.'^ One can easily 
understand his describing the ground-colour of the flanks 
as black, for in some specimens they are dark greyish black. 
2. Cyrtonyx sall^i (Cat, B. x^ii. p. 427). 
Cyrtonyx merriami Nelson, Auk, xiv. p. 48 (1897) [East 
slope of Mt. Orizaba, Vera Cruz] . 
There can be no doubt that C. merriami is a synonym of 
the beautiful species described in 1859 as C. sallai. The 
appai'ent absence of the white collar on the fore-neck dividing 
the black throat from the chestnut is probably partly due to 
the make of the skin, but in this species the white collar 
is always narrow and in one specimen before us is nearly 
wanting. 
1. Dactylortyx thoracicus (op. cit. p. 429). 
Dactylortyx thoracicus lineolatiis (Gould) Nelson, Pr. Biok 
Soc. Washington, xii. p. m (1898). 
