CYRTONYX MASSENA.
Massena’s Partridge.
S p e c if ic C harac t er .
Cyrt. pectore abdomineque medio castaneis, lateribus corporis nigrescenti-griseis, maculis aibis
g u tta tis , plumarum dor si rachiis longitudinaliter fu lv o striatis.
Male.— Head ornamented with a full crest inclining backwards, and forming a thick tuft at the
occiput o f a uniform buffy brown; feathers o f the crown buff, transversely marked with
black; sides o f the head white, interrupted by a narrow stripe o f black, which, commencing
at the base of the bill, passes upward and curves over the ey e s; another stripe of black takes
its rise from the same point, passes beneath the eye, and then descends abruptly down the
side of the n e ck ; ear-coverts, centre of the throat and a crescent-shaped mark bounding
the white below, black ; upper surface sandy brown, transversely barred with black, each
feather with a narrow stripe o f buff down the centre ; wing-coverts and tertiaries bufly
brown, barred transversely with broad oblong spots of black; primaries dark brown, the
outer webs crossed with markings of buff; centre o f the chest and abdomen deep chestnut;
flanks for their entire length sooty black, each feather ornamented with a double row of
nearly round spots o f w h ite ; vent, thighs and under tail-coverts black ; upper mandible
black; under mandible horn-colour; legs bluish flesh-colour.
Female.—All the upper surface sandy brown, transversely barred with black, and a conspicuous
stripe o f buff down the centre o f each feather; throat dull white; an indication
o f the black crescent-shaped mark on the lower part o f the neck ; under surface
vinaceous ; flanks in some specimens uniform, in others crossed by minute zigzag markings
and freckles o f black, .
Total length, inches; bill, x ; wing, 4^; tarsi, lx ; middle toe and nail, If.
O rty x Massena, Less. Cent, de Zool., p. 189.—lb . 111. de Zool., texte de pi. 52.
Montezuma?, Vig, in Zool. Journ., vol. v. p. 275.—Jard. and Selb. 111. Orn., vol. iii.
pi. 126.— Bonap. in Proc. o f Zool. Soc., Par tV. p. 114.—Natt. MSS.
Odontophorus Meleagris, Wagl. Isis, 1832, p. 277-
P e rd ix perspicillata, Licht. in Mus. Berlin.
Several years have now elapsed since I became possessed of a collection of birds from Mexico, among
which were specimens of what I conceive to be both sexes of this extraordinarily marked species, and 1
have since seen others iu the Royal Museum of Berlin, and in that of the Prince Massena at Paris. The
first-mentioned specimens now form part of the collection of the Zoological Society of London, in whose
aviary in the Regent’s Park another individual was living for some time.
No account whatever has yet reached us of the habits and economy of this species, which, judging from
the comparative shortness of its toes and the great development of its claws, we may expect to be different
from those of the other members of the family.
The male is rendered exceedingly conspicuous by the singular disposition of the markings of the face,
which are very strongly contrasted, and forcibly remind one of the painted face of the clown in a
pantomime; the female on the other hand is very different in colour, and in the markings of the upper
surface closely resembles the Common Quail of Europe.
Habitat, Mexico.
I am indebted to the kindness of Prince Massena for the loan of a fine specimen of this bird, from which
my figure of the male was taken.
The Plate represents a male and a female of the natural size.