112 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 
£ in summer without uniform black feathers on the breast. Autumnal 
plumage orange-rufous. 
Male. In summer the feathers of back black, banded distinctly with 
yellowish-brown and tipped with white. Size considerably less than 
that of L. albus. Length, about 14.50 ; wing, 7.50 ; tail, 4.50. 
Female in summer (Barren Grounds, June 29, 1864). Wings (except 
upper coverts) and legs white ; tail (except intermedige) black, narrowly 
tipped with white. Rest of plumage light ochraceous or buff, some 
feathers tipped with white, and all with broad transverse bars of black, 
this color prevailing On the dorsal region. On the lower surface the 
buff bars exceed the black ones in width. Hob. Arctic America. 
{Rock Grouse.) var. rup estris. 
JB. Tail-feathers entirely pure white. 
3. L. leucurus. Winter plumage wholly white. 
Summer. Wings, tail, abdomen, crissum, and legs immaculate snowy- 
white. Ground-color of rest of plumage . grayish- white on head and 
neck and ashy buff on other portions, finely, and rather sparsely, 
sprinkled with black, — more in form of ragged transverse bars an- 
teriorly and on sides. Length, 13.00; wing, 6.70; tarsus, 1.00 ; middle 
toe, 1.00; bill, .35 by .20. Hah. Alpine summits of the Western 
mountain -ranges, from Colorado to Oregon and Washington, and north 
into British America. ( White-tailed Ptarmigan.') 
Family PERDICXDiE. — The Partridges. 
Subfamily ORTYGINiE. 
Char. Bill stout, the lower mandible more or less bidentate on each side near the end. 
Iris varying with the species. Eggs varying in color with species. 
a. Head without crest. 
Ortyx. Tail not much more than half the wings ; outstretched feet reach- 
ing beyond the tail. Eyes brown. Eggs pure white. (Page 113.) 
b. Head with a crest of a few long , narrow, erect , and keel-shaped feathers. 
Oreortyx. Crest-feathers very long, linear ; tail scarcely more than half 
the wings ; bill stout ; claws blunt, the lateral not reaching the base of the 
middle claw. Toes of the outstretched foot reaching beyond the tail. Iris 
“ red ” (Aud.). Eggs uniform creamy-fulvous. e (Page 113.) 
Lophortyx. Crest-feathers widening much terminally, and recurved at the 
ends. Tail nearly or quite as long as wings. Bill rather small. Claws 
acute, the lateral reaching to the base of middle one. Toes not reaching the 
tip of tail. Iris brown or whitish. Eggs variable, always strongly blotched. 
(Page 114.) 
c. Crest soft , full, and tufted; composed of shorty 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. Iris brown. Eggs creamy-white, minutely 
freckled with specks of pale drab. (Page 114.) 
