234 
PERDICIN^. 
FAMILY XXX. PERDICIXiE. PERDICINE 
BIRDS, OR PARTRIDGES. 
Birds of small or moderate size, having the body full, 
the neck short, or moderate ; the head rather small and 
oblong ; bill short, stout, broader than high at the base ; 
upper mandible with its dorsal line at first straight, then 
arcuato-declinate, the edges sharp and overlapping, the 
tip sharp -edged and rounded ; lower mandible narrower, 
with the dorsal line slightly convex, the edges involute, 
the tip narrowed but obtuse ; gape-line arched. Both 
mandibles internally concave ; tongue short, triangular, 
fiat above, and acute ; mouth rather narrow ; oesophagus 
narrow, but opening into a very large globular crop ; pro- 
ventriculus bulbiform ; stomach a powerful, roundish, 
compressed gizzard, with strong muscles, radiated ten- 
dons, and dense, longitudinally rugous epithelium ; intes- 
tine of moderate length ; coeca very large, oblong, inter- 
nally ridged. Nostrils oblong, operculate, in a rather 
broad feathered membrane. Eyes of moderate size. Legs 
short or moderate ; tarsus with a double row of scutella 
before, plain or spurred behind ; toes rather strong, scu- 
tellate, three before, one behind, very small or sometimes 
wanting ; claws rather strong, arched, obtuse. Plumage 
full, the feathers with large plumules; wings short, broad, 
concave, rounded ; tail of twelve or more feathers, gene- 
rally short, and even or rounded. 
There is little essential difference between the large, 
long-tailed birds, called Cocks and Pheasants, and the 
small, short-tailed species called Partridges and Quails. 
Their habits also are essentially similar. The Par- 
tridges are generally distributed, but more abundant in 
the temperate and warmer regions. One species is plen- 
tiful in Britain, another rare and migratory, and two par- 
tially naturalized. 
