292. 2. Ortyx Californica, Lath. Californian Partridge.
Plate CCCCXIII. Fig. 10. Male and Female.
On the top of the head an elegant crest of six elongated, recurved, clavate feathers, of which the webs are deflected. Male with the forehead dull yellow, the crest black; upper part of head dark brown, margined with a band of white; throat deep black, margined with a semilunar band of white, curving up to the eyes; hind part and sides of neck light ash-grey, beautifully marked with black, each feather having a marginal band and central line of that colour; lower half of neck anteriorly, and a part of the breast, greyish-blue, the rest of the breast light yellowish, its central part chestnut, with semilunar black bands; sides olive-brown, each feather with a central white streak; the rest of the lower parts light yellowish-brown, faintly barred with dusky, the lower tail-coverts with a central dark brown streak; back and wings greyish-brown, tinged with olive, outer secondaries margined externally, inner internally, with light red; tail bluish-grey, edged with olivaceous. Female with the tuft shorter, the colours duller; the upper part of the head dull brown, throat and cheeks brownish-white, streaked with dusky; hind part and sides of neck greyish-brown, each feather with a medial and marginal band of black, as in the male, but fainter; lower part of neck and part of breast brownish-grey; the rest of the upper and lower parts as in the male.
Male, 91/4, wing 47/12. Female, 9, wing 47/12.
Upper California. Abundant. Resident.
Californian Partridge, Perdix californica, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 152.
293. 3. Ortyx plumifera, Gould. Plumed Partridge.
Plate CCCCXXII. Fig. 1. Male. Fig. 2. Female.
On the top of the head two linear-lanceolate decurved feathers, having their webs deflected; upper part of head, hind neck, fore part of back, lower part of fore neck, and a part of the breast, greyish-blue; feathers along the base of the bill, and a band from the eye down the side of the neck, white; elongated feathers on the head black; throat deep chestnut, margined on each side with a black line; back and rump reddish-brown; quills and tail-feathers wood-brown, margined with reddish-brown; inner secondaries broadly margined internally with white; middle of breast chestnut, as are the upper hypochondrial feathers, which are margined on their inner web toward the end with a narrow black and a broad white band, the intervening space on the sides broadly banded with white, black, and chestnut. Female somewhat less, similar to the male, but less brightly coloured.
Male, 11, wing 53/4. Female, 10, wing 51/2.