QUAIL, BOBWHITE, PARTRIDGE. 
Colinus virginianus, 
Colinus virginianus floridanus, - 
Colinus virginianus texanus. 
Of all these forms, by far the best known is the bob- 
white—the partridge of the Southern States, and quail 
of the north. It has been divided by naturalists into 
several sub-species or geographical races inhabiting 
southern New England and the Middle States, the 
Southern States, Florida and Cuba, Texas and southern 
Arizona; and in Mexico are found many other differ- 
ent forms of the genus. All these, except those of 
the extreme southwest—Mexico—differ from each 
other chiefly in size and in the varying intensity of the 
blacks and browns which mark their plumage. Of those 
of the United States the northern form, known as the 
quail or Virginia partridge, is the largest; the southern 
races, called the Florida bobwhite, the smallest and 
blackest ; while the Texas bobwhite is midway between 
the two in size, and in color is paler and grayer than 
either. 
The general color of the typical bobwhite is reddish 
brown, paler below and streaked, spotted or crossed 
with black markings. The lower breast and belly be- 
come whitish, and all the upper parts are crossed with 
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