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ODONTOPHORUS GUTTATUS, Gould.
Guttated Partridge.
S p e c if ic C haracter .
Od. g u la nigra, lined centrali alba per plwnas singulas d u c ta ; pectore et corpore subtus spadiceo-
fu s co , spat ha alba singulis plumis apicem versus gu tta tis.
Male.— Crown of the head and upper feathers o f the crest blackish brown; under crest-feathers
rich deep b u ff; over the eye extending to the occiput a broad band o f pale brown, each
feather tipped with black; beneath the eye, the ear-coverts and sides o f the neck rich
chestnut; throat jet-black, with a line o f white down the centre and assuming a triangular
form near the tip o f each feather; back reddish brown freckled with black, each feather
with a large patch o f deep brown near the tip o f the inner web, and with a line o f buff
down the centre; wing-feathers alternately banded with buff and deep brown, the former
sprinkled with black; rump pale yellowish brown, obscurely spotted with black; tail
yellowish brown, banded with black; breast and under surface chocolate-brown, with a
pear-shaped spot o f white, more or less encircled with black near the tip o f each feather;
bill black; feet lead-colour.
Female.— Differs in having the crest o f a uniform brown, and in the black o f the throat being
less extensive.
Total length, 10 inches; bill, a ; wing, 5-z; tail, 3 ; tarsi, l-§-
O rty x g u tta ta , Gould in Proc. o f Zool. Soc., Part V. p. 79.
Odontophorus g u tta tu s, List o f Birds in Brit. Mus. Coll., Part III. p. 43.
Several years have now elapsed since I described this fine bird in the “ Proceedings of the Zoological
Society” from examples then living in their menagerie, all of which being females, I was not aware until
lately that the male is distinguished from his mate by a beautiful tuft of orange-coloured feathers at the
occiput; in other respects the sexes are nearly alike in plumage. That this interesting species would readily
become domesticated, is proved by the fact of an example belonging to the Earl of Derby having laid its
eggs and reared its young in his Lordship’s magnificent aviary at Knowsley.
The native country of the 0 . guttatus is Honduras, where, according to Mr. Dyson, it inhabits the Cahoon
palm ridges; a specimen this gentleman had alive for some time was procured on the Reondo River, on
the borders of Yucatan.
The habits of those living examples that have come under my notice presented no peculiarity worth
noting; like the rest of the genus, they readily perched not only on the trees, but also on any ledge or
projection of the aviary in which they were confined. They presented the same plump form as the
Common Partridge and the Ortyx Virginianus.
Specimens now form part of the collection at the British Museum, and of that belonging to the Zoological
Society of London.
Habitat. Honduras.
The Plate represents a male and a female of the natural size.