BIRDS—PERDIOIDAE—ORTYX TEXANUS. 
641 
In No. 2516, from Carlisle, the ground tint of the upper parts, excepting the fore part of 
hack and the head, is a brownish cream color, the black markings both above and below more 
distinct than usual. There is also more white about the head. But for the fact of its having 
been shot near Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in a flock of normally colored birds, it might readily be 
taken for a different species. 
Specimens from the southern States not unfrequently have the white throat feathers margined 
with black, which sometimes almost conceals the white. A skin, 9350, from Devil’s river, 
Texas, is doubtfully referred to this species, on account of its size and redder color. 
The Ortyx virginianus is thebird about which there has been so much controversy as to the 
name it should bear. In New York and New England, as well as in many of the western 
States, it is called the quail, while in Pennsylvania and further south it is known as the part¬ 
ridge. Where this bird is called quail, the Ruffed Grouse is generally called partridge; and 
where it is called partridge, the larger species is known as the pheasant. In reality, however, 
no one of these names can be correctly applied to any American species, though to call our grouse 
a partridge is, perhaps, a worse misnomer than to apply the same name to our Ortyx. It would 
be much better, however, to select names for the American birds which have not been used for 
other species; such, perhaps, as Bob white for the Ortyx , and Mountain Grouse, or Ruffed 
Grouse, for the other species. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sox. 
Locality. 
When col¬ 
lected. 
Whence obtained. 
Orig. 
No. 
Collected by— 
Length. 
Stretch 
of wings. 
Wing. 
Remar Its. 
1715 
1714 
4434 
4859 
9350: 
3 
9 
S. F. Baird. 
E. C. Bidwell. 
3 
Iowa Point, Neb. 
Devil’s River, Texas.... 
April 23, 1856 
Nov. —, 1854 
Lieut. Warren. 
Major Emory. 
17 
Dr. Hayden.... 
Dr. Kennerly .. 
8.25 
11.75 
3.75 
Eyes dull brown. 
ORTYX TEXANUS, Lawrence. 
Ortyx texanus, Lawrence, Ann. N. Y. Lyc. VI, April, 1853, 1. 
Sp. Ch. —General appearance that of 0. virginianus. Chin, throat, forehead, andstripe over the eye white. Stripe behind 
the eye, continuous with a collar across the lower part of the throat, black. Under parts white, with zig-zag transverse bars of 
black. Above pale brownish red, strongly tinged with ash, the feathers all faintly though distinctly mottled with black ; the 
lower back, scapulars, and terlials much blotched with black, the latter edged on both sides, and, to some extent, transversely 
barred with brownish white. Secondaries with transverse bars of the same on the outer web. Wing coverts coarsely and 
conspicuously barred with blackish. Lower part of neck, except before, streaked with black and white. 
Female with the white of the head changed to brownish yellow ; the black of the head wanting. 
Length, 9 inches ; wing 4.35 ; tail, 2.85. 
Hab .—Southern Texas and Valley of the Rio Grande. 
Tins species is very similar, in general appearance and markings, to 0. virginianus, the 
common quail of the United States, being, perhaps, of smaller size, though some specimens 
seem almost as large as the other species. The chief difference is seen in a much grayer shade of 
coloration and a more extended and conspicuous mottling cf the feathers. The under parts 
and head are much the same, except that in 0. texomus the black collar on the throat is narrower, 
July 8, 1858. 
81 b 
