BIRDS — PEEDICIDAE — CYETON Y X MASSENA. 



G47 



the feathers. Those on the neck are light hrown, not black. The crest is tinged with brown 

 next to the whitish. Feathers of the breast and belly with the shafts dark brown, occupying 

 the centre of a dark V-mark, the apex pointing backwards, and the branches divaricating more 

 and more posteriorly. 



In one specimen of this bird from New Leon, 3999, there is a large brownish chestnut spot on 

 the middle of the belly, CLuite conspicuously different from what is seen in other skins. 



List of specimens. 



1 Bill and eyes brown, feet flesh-colored. 



CYRTONYX, Gould. 



Cyrtonyx, Gould, Mon. Odontoph..' 1845. Type Ortyx massena, Lesson. 



Ch. — Bill very stout and robust Head with a broad soft occipital crest of short decumbent feathers. Tail very short, half 

 the length of the wings, composed of soft feathers, the longest scarcely longer than the coverts ; much graduated. Wings long 

 and broad, the coverts and tertials so much enlarged as to conceal the quills. Feet robust, extending considerably beyond the 

 tip of the tail. Claws very large, the outer lateral reaching nearly to the middle of the central anterior. The toes without the 

 claws, however, are very short. 



This genus differs very much from its North American allies in the great development of 

 the feathers composing the wing coverts, the very short and soft tail, and the very short toes 

 and long claws. It is almost worthy of forming the type of a distinct sub-family, so many and 

 great are its peculiarities. The single North American representative is the only one of our 

 species with round white spots on the lower surface and black ones above. A second species, 

 O. ocellatus, is found in Mexico. 



CYKTONYX MASSENA, Gould. 



DIassena Partridge. 



Ortyx massena, Lesson, Cent. Zool. 1830, 189. 



Cyrtonyx massena, Gould, Mon. Odont. 1850, 14 ; tab. vii. — M'Call, Pr. A. N. Sc. V, 1851, 221 — Cassin, lUust. 



1, 1, 1853, 21 ; pi. xxi. — Reichenb. Syst. Av. 1850, pi. xxvii. 

 Ortyx montezvmae. Vigors, Zool. Jour. V, 1830, 275. 

 Odontophorus mdeagris, Waglek, Isis, XXV, 1832, 279. 

 Tetrao guttata, De la Llave, Registro trimestre, I, 1832, 145. (Cassin.) 



