648 
U. S. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS-ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT. 
Sp. Ch —Head striped with white, black, and lead color ; chin black. Feathers above streaked centrally with whitish, those 
on the outer surface of the wings, with two series of rounded black spots. Central line of breast and belly dark chestnut; the 
abdomen, thighs, and crissum, black ; the sides of breast and body lead color, with round white spots. Legs blue. Length 
8.75 ; wing, 7 ; tail, 2.50. 
Hab —Chiefly on the upper Rio Grande from the high plains of the Pecos. 
It is scarcely possible to describe this beautiful quail so as to exhibit an accurate idea of its 
markings and coloration. It is, however, so different from any other known species as to require 
mention of its more prominent features only. 
Head with a broad depressed and full occipital crest. The sides of the head are striped white, 
plumbeous, and black. The lead color forms a streak above and below the eye, the latter one 
widening behind and with a crescent of black parallel to it on the sides of the neck. The chin 
and middle of the throat, (bounded laterally and behind by white,) with two spots on the 
upper eyelids and a stripe behind, starting below the middle of the eye, are also black. The 
forehead is black, with two white streaks on each side, the vertex is likewise black but the 
feathers are tipped with brownish yellow, of which color is the crest. The under parts are dark 
bluish ash, each feather with two series of round white spots ; the central line of breast and 
belly dark orange chestnut; the thighs, anal region, and beneath the tail, sooty or velvety 
black. The feathers above are all streaked centrally with brownish white or yellow, bordered 
with black; the hack and scapulars reddish brown, barred transversely with black; the 
exposed surfaces of the wings with two series of black spots on each feather. Primary quills 
brown spotted with white. 
A skin, probably of a young male, is without the black and plumbeous of the head and throat; 
the white, however, is speckled with brown. 
The female is something like the male on the back, except that the wings lack the round 
black spots. The under parts are totally different, the ground color being of a light purplish 
cinnamon, the feathers of the breast and sides streaked centrally and narrowly on each side the 
(light colored) shafts with black. The throat and median line of belly and anal region are 
dull purplish white, wdthout markings. The head shows none of the black and white* 
markings. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
When collected. 
Whence obtained. 
Orig. 
No. 
Collected by— 
Remarks. 
4418 
10356 
10357 
10358 
9358 
9359 
9356 
5106 
9355 
3998 
3 
Q 
3 
3 
Chihuahua._ 
John Potts __ 
Fort Davis, Tex_ 
Dr. Foard, U. S. A 
_do_ 
. 
__ ^ do__ 
Turkey creek, Tex_ 
Las Moras, Texas.... 
Mimbres to R. Grande. 
Nov. —, 1854 
1853 . 
Major Emory... . 
Dr. Crawford_ 
25 
Dr. Kennerly ... 
Dr. T. C. Henry - 
Capt. Pope_ 
Major Emory..„. 
J. H. Clark 
3 
New Leon, Mex_ 
April —, 1853 
Lt. Couch__ 
—-.- 
Eyes dark, bill black. 
