h
£ L eu r. ( I f I .
O r t y x C a l i f o r n i c a . Sieph., G m. Zool. v o l.W . p. 384.
Perd ix Californica. Lath., Ind. Orn. Supp. p . 62. sp. 2.
Crested Partridge of New California. L a Perouse, Voy. vol. 1. p . 201.
S ev e ra l sk in s o f th is spe c ie s, which h a d h ith e r to h e e n o f g r e a t r a r ity in E u ro p e a n colle c tio n s,
were b ro u g h t h om e h y th e e x p e d itio n . Some liv in g sp e c im en s w’e re also b ro u g h t to E n g la n d by
C ap t. B e e ch ey , tw o o f wh ich (m a le s ) p r e s e n te d by h im to th e Z o o lo g ic a l S o c ie ty , a r e now in good
h e a lth in th e ir g a rd e n s . A ll th e females u n fo r tu n a te ly d ie d o n th e p a s s a g e , o r th e re w o u ld h a v e be en
re a so n to h a v e ex p e c te d a b re ed from th em , th e M a r y la n d Q.uail b e in g k n ow n to b r e e d fre e ly in this
c o u n try .
O r t y x D o u g l a s i i . n. s. Zool. Journ. vol. 4. p . 354.— Jardine and Selby s Illusi,
o f Orn. p i. 107.—Linn., Trans, vol. 16. p . 145.
Ori. plumhao-brunnea, cristâ erectà alisque supra saturate hrunneis, his flavo-ferrugineo striatis; capite, genie, nuchâ-
que brunneo e tflavo-ferrugineo lineatis; gulâalbâ, brunneo notala; abdomine albo guttato.
Capiti« plumæ iu medio brunneæ, ad latcra flavo-ferrugine* ; gulæ albæ, in medio bninue*. Dorsum rectricesqp»
saperiores plumbeo-brunneæ, fusco gracilUmè undulatæ, plumis ad apicem pallido-femiginco terrainatis. Tectriees ala-
j-um rectrice«que secundariæ interiores saturate btunneæ, plumis ad latera flavo-ferrugineo ad morem Scolopaeum notati*.
Remiges primari* fusco-brunneæ, subtus fuse*. Tectriees inferiores pallide fuse*, albo guttat*. Crisium flavo-ferrugi-
I^eum, plumis in medio brunneis. Rostrum pedesqxie nigri, Longitudo corporis, 9 ; rostri, J ; alee, a carpo ad apicem
remigis quinlæ, 4^ ; caudee, 3 ; tarsi, 1.
P LA T E X I.
T h is sp e c ie s was firs t discove red in th e R o ck y M o u n ta in s h y M r. D o u g la s , w h o d id n o t su c c e ed
in b rin g in g home spe c im ens, b u t a c c u r a te ly d e s c rib e d it in b is m a n u s c rip ts .
T h e sp e c ie s has b e en w ith ju s tic e d e d ic a te d to tlie e n te rp r is in g disco v e re r. A s ingle sp e c im en
on ly w a s b ro u g h t h om e from M o n te rey .
O r d e r IV . G RAL LA TO R E S .
F am. A R D E ID Æ .
A r d e a E X i L i s . Lath., Ind. Orn. p . 683. sp. ^ . — Wils., Am. Orn. vol. 8. p . 37.
pi. 65. f . 4.—P r . o f Musignano, Syn. sp. 236.
Minute Heron. Lath., Gen. Hist. vol. 9. p . 72. sp. 34.
T h is species was fou n d a t S a n F r a n c is c o . A sp e c im en e x am in e d b y M r. C ollie “ was s h o t on th e
m a rg in o f a s tre am le t o f w a te r s tir ro a n d e d h y low s h ru b s . T h e iride s w e re y e llow : th e stom a ch
m u s c u la r : th e low e r la ryn x s im p le .”
N y c t i c o r a x c r a s s i r o s t r i s , n .s .
Ngct. supra castaneo-rvfa, subtus plumisque tribus oceipitalibus albis; capite supra nigro ; rostro crasso, subrecto, mon-
dibulâ inferiori albescenti apice fusco, superiori nigro.
Longitudo corporis, 2 1 ; alee, a carpo ad apicem remigis tetti*, 10^ ; rostri, ; caudee, 5 ; tarsi, 4.
T h is sp e c ie s ag re e s in ev e ry r e sp e c t w ith tb e N y c t. Caledonica, in its co lo u rs a n d th e d is tr ib u tio
n o f th em ; with th e exc ep tio n o f th e c o lo u r o f th e b ill, w hich is b la c k in th e la tte r b ird . I t differs
e s s e n tia lly , h ow ev e r, in th e sh ap e o f th e bill, which is m u c h m o re solid a n d n e a r ly s tr a ig h t, ap p ro a ch in
g in th is re s iie c t to tlie b ill o f th e B itte rn s . T h e p ro p o r tio n s o f th e w in g a lso a re d iffe rent, th e len g th ,
from th e c a rp a l jo in t to th e e x trem ity o f th e la rg e s t q u ili- f e a th e r , b e in g a n in c h le s s in o u r b ird th a n in
th e a llie d spe c ie s.