178 GROUSE, BOB-WHITES, ETC. 



ORDER GALLIN-2E. GALLINACEOUS BIRDS. 



Family Teteaonid^. Geouse, Bob-whites, etc. 



Of the two hundred species contained in this family, one hundred 

 belong in the subfamily Perdicince or Old-World Partridges and 

 Qnails, sixty in the subfamily Odontopherinm or New-World Par- 

 tridges and Bob-whites, and twenty-five in the subfamily TetraoninoB 

 or Grouse, inhabiting the northern parts of the northern hemisphere. 

 Generally speaking, these birds are non-migratory, though there are 

 some striking exceptions among the Perdicinm. After the nesting 

 season they commonly gather in " coveys " or bevies, usually composed 

 of the members of but one family. In some species these bevies unite 

 or " pack," forming large flocks. As a rule, they are terrestrial, but 

 may take to trees when flushed, while some species habitually call and 

 feed in trees. They are game birds par excellence, and, trusting to 

 the concealment aflforded by their dull colors, attempt to avoid detec- 

 tion by hiding rather than by flying, or, in sportsman's phraseology, 

 " lie well to a dog." Their flight is rapid and accompanied by a start- 

 ling whirr, caused by the quick strokes of their small, concave, stifl- 

 feathered wings. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



A. Tarsi bare 289. Bob-white. 289o. Florida Bob-white. 



-B. Upper third or half of tarsi feathered. 



300. KuFFED Geouse. 300a. Canada Euffed GROcaE. 



C. Tarsi entirely feathered, toes bare. 



a. "With bunches of elongated, stiffened feathers springing from either side 

 of the neclc . . .■ 305. Prairie Hen. 306. Heath Hen. 



T>. Feathers of neck normal. 

 5'. Outer web of primaries spotted with white. 



3086. Prairie Sharp-tailed Grodse. 

 M. Primaries not spotted with white 298. Canada Geouse. 



D. Tarsi and toes entirely feathered 301. Ptarhiqan and races. 



289. Colinus virginianus [Linn.). Bob-white ; Quail ; Partridge. 

 Ad. i in winter.— ^S-p-per parts varying from reddish brown to chestnut ; in- 

 terscapulars with broken and sometimes complete black bars; inner vane 

 of tertials widely margined with cream-buff; rump grayish brown, finely 

 mottled, and with a few streaks of blackish ; tail ashy gray, the inner feath- 

 ers finely mottled with buffy ; front of the crown, a band from the bill to be- 

 neath the eye, and a band on the upper breast blacli; ; throat and a broad line 

 from the bill over the eye white ; sides rufous-chestnut, margined with black 

 and white ; lower breast and belly white barred with black. Ad. 9 in win- 

 ter. — Similar, but the throat and line over the eye, forehead, and lores pale 

 ochraceous-buff ; little or no black on the upper breast. Summer examples 



