CALIFORNIAN COLIN. 



385 



This bird, which is deposited in the British 

 Museum, is thus described by Latham : This is 

 rather larger than our Quail: the beak is lead- 

 coloured : the general colour of the plumage on 

 the upper parts of the body, wings, and tail, is 

 pale cinereous brown ; this colour comes forward 

 on the breast on each side in a broad band, where 

 it inclines to bluish ash-colour : the back part of 

 the neck speckled with dull cream-colours from 

 the crown springs a tuft, composed of six long 

 dusky feathers, which are capable of being carried 

 erect : the forehead is dull ferruginous ; behind 

 this, about the eyes, the chin^ and throat, dusky 

 black: behind the eye is a dirty cream-coloured 

 streak, and a crescent of the same bounds the black 

 of the throat all round the lower part : the belly, 

 from the breast, is dirty ferruginous yellow, marked 

 with slender crescents of black : over the thighs, 

 beneath the wings, some long dusky feathers, 

 marked with a yellow streak down the middle of 

 each : the tail is rather long, and somewhat cunei- 

 form in shape : the legs short, and of a lead- 

 colour. The female differs chiefly in wanting 

 black on the head, and having the colours in general 

 less distinct. Inhabits California, whence it was 

 brought by Mr. Menzies.*' 



Ve XI. p. n, 



26 



