71 



WELCOME PARTRIDGE. 



-j-Ortix neoxenus, Vigors. 



PLATE CCXCIL— Young. 



Nothing is known of this species further than that it was procured in the 

 course of Captain Beechey's voyage, on the north-west coast of America. 

 My drawing was taken from a specimen kindly lent to me by the Council 

 of the Zoological Society of London. 



Welcome Qoail, Ovtyx neoxenus, Vig. Gard. and Menag. of Zool. Soc, vol. ii. p. 311. 

 Welcome Partridge, Perdix neoxenus, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. v. p. 228. 



Length 7J, wing 4|-. 



California. 



Young. 



The form and proportions being nearly the same as those of the Plumed 

 and Californian Partridges, it is unnecessary to describe them; the bill, how- 

 ever, is proportionally thicker, and has its tip less decurved. Mr. Bennet's 

 description is as follows: — 



"In size the present bird is smaller than the Californian Quail. Its crest 

 is short, straight, directed backwards, and composed of about half a dozen 

 elongated feathers, of the same pale brown as the forehead in front of them. 

 Round the eyes the brown becomes much paler, but assumes a rufous tinge 

 as it passes backwards, on either side of the head, in two stripes, extending 

 from above and below the eye. Between these stripes, and on the lower 

 and back part of the neck, a number of pale brown and somewhat pointed 

 feathers alternate with broad black ones. The back is of a grizzled brown, 

 with much darker patches; and this colouring extends to the tail, which is 

 crossed by about eight wavy irregular lines of very pale brown. The wing- 

 coverts are dark brown, with light margins; and the quill-feathers duslsy- 

 brown, some of them slightly marked on the edges with paler spots. The 

 under surface of the body is dark brown, copiously marked with rounded 

 spots, which are nearly of a pure white; they commence small on the neck, 

 where they are somewhat dingy, and increase in size as they proceed back- 

 wards. The bill is black; the iris pale brown; and the claws horn-coloured. " 



Length to end of tail 1\ inches; bill along the ridge ff; wing from flexure 

 4$; tail 2§; tarsus 1 T ^; hind toe £ j9 its claw ff ; middle toe ljj, its claw 

 ■y%. The second quill longest; the tail of twelve feathers. 



