484 
BOB WHITE, THE GAME BIRD OE AMERICA. 
The European partridge and Bob White 
differ in their call-notes and in their longevity. 
Daniel, in his superb “Rural Sports,” Lon- 
don, 1812, states: “It is said the partridge, 
if unmolested, lives from fifteen to seventeen 
years ; others dispute this computation, and 
maintain that they live seven years, and give 
over laying in the sixth, and are in full vigor 
when two years old.” Dr. Elisha T. Lewis, 
in his “American Sportsman,” Philadelphia, 
1857, says that the average duration of Bob 
White’s life is three to five years ; but neither 
of these authors states how these facts were 
ascertained. Our distinguished ornithologist. 
Dr. Coues, classes Bob White among the 
partridges, and says : 
“ Our partridges [viz. Bob White, the Mountain, 
Valley, and Massen-a quails, etc.] may be distin- 
guished among American Gallincc, by the foregoing 
characters, but not from diose of the Old World; 
and it is highly improbable that, as a group, they are 
separable from all the forms of the latter by any 
decided peculiarities. I find that the principal sup- 
posed character, namely, a toothing of the under 
mandible, is very faintly indicated in some forms, and 
entirely wanting in others. Pending final issue, how- 
ever, it is expedient to re-organize the group, so strictly 
limited geographically, if not otherwise. * * * 
If, however, many of our friends should 
persist — as they certainly will — in calling 
Bob White a quail, then they should call a 
brood of these birds a bevy; while a covey 
should designate a brood, if they call him 
a Virginia partridge. The plumage differs so 
much with latitude, that some naturalists have 
made out three species : the Ortyx Vv'gini- 
anus, the O. Eloridanus, and the O. Texanns. 
The male of the Eloridanus is about the size 
of the female Virginianus. Its bill is longer 
and jet black ; its colors are darker and its 
black markings are heavier. The Texajins is 
of the size of the Eloridanus ; the colors are 
paler, the prevailing shade being rather gray 
than brown ; upper part much variegated with 
tawny. Sometimes he dons a coat which is 
nearly white. One of these little colorless 
birds is shown in the engraving on page 
486. He was shot in the month of Novem- 
ber, by JVr. Charles Hallock, near Berlin, in 
"Worcester County, Maryland. 
If, after a day of successful shooting over 
a considerable area, the sportsman will count 
the number of cock and hen birds which have 
fallen to his aim, he will find the former al- 
“ BOB WHITE ! ” 
habits, they agree more or less completely with the 
well known Bob White : Head completely feathered, 
and usually crested, the crest frequently assuming a 
remarkable shape, nasal fosse not filled with feathers ; 
the nostrils covered with a naked scale ; tarsi and toes 
naked, the latter scarcely or not fringed.” 
ways outnumbering the latter. The exact 
ratio I do not know. I have but once sepa- 
rated them; then, in a bag of forty, I found 
twenty-four cocks to sixteen hens. According 
to the European naturalist, Ray, the European 
