71 
WELCOME PARTRIDGE. 
Ortix NEOXENUS, Vigors. 
PLATE COXCII.— Toting. 
Nothing is known of this species further than that it was procured in the 
course of Captain Beechey’s voyage, on the north-west coast of America. 
My drawing was taken from a specimen kindly lent to me by the Council 
of the Zoological Society of London. 
Welcome Quail, Ortyx neoxenus, Vig. Gard. and Menag. of Zool. Soc., vol. ii. p. 311. 
Welcome Partridge, Perdix neoxenus, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. v. p. 228. 
Length 7i, wing 41. 
California. 
Young. 
The form and proportions being nearly the same as those of the Plumed 
and Californian Partridges, it is unnecessary to describe them ; the bill, 
however, is proportionally thicker, and has its tip less decurved. Mr. 
Bennet’s description is as follows : — 
“ In size the present bird is smaller than the Californian Quail. Its crest 
is short, straight, directed backwards, and composed of about half a dozen 
elongated feathers, of the same pale brown as the forehead in front of them. 
Round the eyes the brown becomes much paler, but assumes a rufous tinge 
as it passes backwards, on either side of the head, in two stripes, extending 
from above and below the eye. Between these stripes, and on the lower 
and back part of the neck, a number of pale brown and somewhat pointed 
feathers alternate with broad black one3. The back is of a grizzled brown, 
with much darker patches ; and this colouring extends to the tail, which is 
crossed by about eight wavy irregular lines of very pale brown. The wing- 
coverts are dark brown, with light margins ; and the quill-feathers dusky- 
brown, some of them slightly marked on the edges with paler spots. The 
under surface of the body is dark brown, copiously marked with rounded 
spots, which are nearly of a pure white ; they commence small on the neck, 
where they are somewhat dingy, and increase in size as they proceed back- 
wards. The bill is black ; the iris pale brown ; and the claws horn-coloured.” 
Length to end of tail 74 inches ; bill along the ridge wing from flexure 
4f ; tail 21 ; tarsus 1 T % ; hind toe its claw ; middle toe 1 T V, its claw 
tV The second quill longest ; the tail of twelve feathers. 
