BIRDS — PERDICIDAE — ORTYX. 
639 
c. Crest soft,ftdl and tufted; composed of short, broad and depressed feathers. 
Callipepla. — Crest springing from the crown. Wing coverts normal. Tail stiffened, nearly 
as long as the wings. Claws small, acute, outstretched feet not reaching the tip of tail. 
Cyrtonyx. — Crest occipital. Wing coverts greatly developed. Tail very small and soft; 
half as long as the wings. Toes short; claws very long, blunted ; outstretched feet reaching 
much beyond the tip of the tail. 
All the North American quails, except Cyrtonyx massena, have the inner tertiaries edged 
internally with whitish or buff, forming a conspicuous line on the back when the wings are 
closed. 
Comparative measurements of species. 
Ortyx viryiiiianiis 
Oreiirtyx pictus. . . . 
do 
Lophortyx californl 
Lophortyx gambelii. 
Callipepla squamatu. 
do 
Cyrtonyx massena 
do 
San Antonio, Tc.\ 
Port Clark, Tex., 
New Leon, Mex. 
, ....do 
California 
Fort Tejon, Cal. 
Tulare valley... 
California 
New Mexico ... 
Gila river 
New Mexico. . . . 
do 
New Leon, Mex . 
do 
New Leon, Mex . 
.do. 
Fort Davis, Tex 
Stretch 
of WIIIL'S 
8.64 
10.50 
8. CO 
10.00 
8.00 
8.70 
9.00 
9.00 
9.50 
7.7G 
7.75 
7.70 
9.00 
10.00 
10.70 
9.50 
9.80 
9.74 
9.10 
9.30 
14.00 
14.00 
13.50 
16.25 
Wing. Tail. Tarsus 
4.64 
4.44 
4.35 
4.00 
4.50 
4.00 
4.35 
4.20 
4.34 
4.50 
4.91 
5.36 
4.32 
4.26 
4.54 
4.36 I 
4.74 
4.44 
4.50 
4.68 2.48 
4.82 ; 2.60 
Its claw 
alone. 
0.38 
0.33 
0.37 
0.42 
.43 I 0.56 
.40 0.52 
0.55 
0.57 
0.55 
0.56 
0.55 
0.54 
0.53 
0.54 
0.50 
0.50 
0.54 
ORTYX, Stephens. 
Ortyx, Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. XI, 1819. Type Tttrao virginianus, L. 
Ch. — Bill stout. Head entirely without any crest. Tail short, scarcely more than half the wing, composed of moderately 
soft feathers. Wings normal. Legs developed, .the toes reaching considerably beyond the tip of the tail ; the lateral toes short, 
equal, their claws falling decidedly short of the base of the middle claw. 
The genus Ortyx embraces numerous species, more or less resembling the well known Bob- 
white of the United States. They are chiefly confined to Mexico, Central America, and the 
West India Islands. An Ortyx cubanensis, from Cuba, is said by Cabanis to resemble O. texanv.s 
much more than virginianus. 
