124 GALLINACEOUS BIRDS— PARTRIDGES 



in a rail fence, especially when it was overgrown with 

 briers. 



There are a number of varieties (the sub-species of 

 the ornithologists) given in the books, and many at- 

 tempts are made to extend the list. We now have no 

 less than three species : the Bob-white, the Grayson's 

 Bob-white, and the masked Bob-white. Bob-white 

 has two sub-species, the Florida Bob-white and the 

 Texas Bob-white. There are nine additional Bob- 

 whites named and reported in the Auk, for April, 

 1898, and no doubt, as the politicians say, there are 

 several counties yet to hear from. The sportsmen 

 have little interest in what I have been pleased to call 

 fractional species of birds, and I think they agree with 

 what I said in " The True Game Birds " : " Until the 

 variety-makers find a bird which does not whistle 

 ' Bob-white,' which has not the same pattern or mark- 

 ings, which does in fact differ in some material habit 

 of nesting, rearing its young, feeding, flying, lying 

 well to the dog, or equally well on the plate, the 

 sportsman may well consider the species and sub- 

 species of Bob-white as one and the same." 



White partridges, albinos, have been shot in many 

 places, and mounted specimens may be seen in the 

 museums. They are uncommon. I have never seen 

 one alive. 



