﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  36 
  1 
  

  

  America; 
  and 
  the 
  Phasiani, 
  comprising 
  the 
  ttirkeys 
  (four 
  species) 
  and 
  

   toothed 
  partridges 
  (70 
  species) 
  of 
  America; 
  the 
  Guinea 
  fowls 
  of 
  Africa 
  

   (23 
  species); 
  the 
  pheasants, 
  francoHns, 
  true 
  partridges 
  and 
  qtiails 
  of 
  the 
  

   Old 
  AVorld 
  (240 
  species) 
  and 
  the 
  grouse 
  of 
  holarctic 
  distribution 
  (45 
  species 
  

   and 
  subspecies). 
  

  

  Famih 
  ODONTOPHORINAE 
  

  

  American 
  Partridges, 
  "Quails" 
  

  

  Size 
  rather 
  small 
  ; 
  head 
  completely 
  feathered 
  ; 
  nasal 
  fossae 
  not 
  feathered 
  ; 
  

   nostrils 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  naked 
  scale 
  ; 
  tarsi 
  and 
  toes 
  naked 
  ; 
  tarsi 
  scutellate 
  ; 
  

   toes 
  scarcely 
  or 
  not 
  at 
  all 
  fringed; 
  edges 
  of 
  luider 
  mandible 
  toothed; 
  tail 
  of 
  

   12 
  feathers, 
  rarely 
  10 
  or 
  14. 
  This 
  family 
  of 
  about 
  70 
  species 
  is 
  confined 
  to 
  

   the 
  new 
  world, 
  probably 
  being 
  of 
  neotropical 
  or 
  Sonoran 
  origin, 
  but 
  resem- 
  

   bling 
  the 
  Perdicinae, 
  or 
  Old 
  World 
  Partridges. 
  They 
  are 
  well 
  represented 
  in 
  

   the 
  southwestern 
  United 
  States 
  and 
  in 
  tropical 
  America, 
  but 
  onl}" 
  one 
  

   species 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  Eastern 
  States. 
  This 
  is 
  our 
  well 
  known 
  Bobwhite. 
  

  

  Colinus 
  virginianus 
  (Linnaeus) 
  

   Bobwhite 
  

  

  Plate 
  40 
  

  

  Tetrao 
  A-irginianus 
  Linnaeus. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  Ed. 
  10. 
  1758. 
  1:162 
  

   Ortyx 
  virginiana 
  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  202, 
  fig. 
  168, 
  169 
  

   Colinus 
  virginianus 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  289 
  

  

  coli'nus, 
  of 
  uncertain 
  origin, 
  probably 
  from 
  the 
  Mexican; 
  virginid'nus, 
  of 
  Virginia 
  

  

  Description. 
  Upper 
  parts 
  varied 
  with 
  chestnut, 
  gray, 
  rusty 
  and 
  black. 
  

   Male: 
  Throat 
  white, 
  margined 
  all 
  around 
  with 
  blackish; 
  a 
  white 
  line 
  

   from 
  the 
  forehead 
  over 
  the 
  eye 
  and 
  down 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  neck; 
  sides 
  and 
  

   back 
  of 
  neck 
  with 
  dashes 
  of 
  white; 
  under 
  parts 
  grayish 
  white, 
  wavy 
  barred 
  

   with 
  blackish; 
  sides 
  broadly 
  streaked 
  with 
  rufous 
  or 
  brownish 
  red; 
  tail 
  

   feathers 
  bluish 
  gray. 
  Female: 
  Somewhat 
  smaller 
  and 
  duller; 
  the 
  throat 
  

   and 
  superciliary 
  stripe 
  buify 
  or 
  brownish 
  yellow. 
  Bill 
  blackish; 
  feet 
  brown. 
  

  

  Length 
  9.5-10.75 
  inches; 
  extent 
  14. 
  5-16; 
  wing 
  4.25-4.75; 
  tail 
  2.4-2.9; 
  

   tarsus 
  1. 
  2-1. 
  5; 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw 
  i. 
  3-1. 
  35; 
  bill 
  .55-65. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  The 
  Bobwhite, 
  or 
  Quail, 
  was 
  formerly 
  well 
  distributed 
  

   throughout 
  New 
  York 
  State 
  as 
  far 
  north 
  as 
  the 
  counties 
  of 
  Jefferson, 
  Oneida, 
  

   Saratoga 
  and 
  Washington, 
  to 
  an 
  altitude 
  of 
  about 
  1000 
  feet, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  

   southeastern 
  portion, 
  to 
  an 
  altitude 
  of 
  2000 
  feet. 
  At 
  the 
  present 
  day 
  it 
  

  

  