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S BES ANA EL ECA DRT AA

EUPSYCHORTYX LEUCOTIS.

White-eared Partridge.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

. . . . A \ . . . . . A
Eup. plumis auricularibus albis ; gula saturate custanea ; striga supracihar? angusta nigra pectore

et lateribus castaneis, guttis albis distinctis, negro circumdatis, conspicue ornatis.

Adult Male.—Face, crest and ear-coverts white, slightly tinged with buff; throat dark chestnut ;
stripe from over the eye down each side of the neck chestnut, speckled with black ; stripe
down the back of the neck buff, speckled with black ; sides and back of the neck spotted
black and white; all the upper surface, wings and tail greyish brown, very minutely
freckled with dark brown and greyish white; centre of the back blotched with black ;
inner webs of the scapularies and secondaries dark brown, margined internally with buff,
forming a line in the direction of the body when the wing is closed ; under surface chest-
nut, distinctly spotted with white, the spots separated by black ; under tail-coverts buff,
with a black mark down the centre of each; middle of the abdomen reddish chestnut ;
bill black ; feet flesh-colour.

Young Male.—Crest and ear-coverts brown; head and throat striated with rufous and black ;
spots on the back stronger than in the adult; under surface similar, but much less rich,
and the centre of the abdomen deep buff.

Female.—Crest and ear-coverts brown; sides of the head and the under surface pale buff,
spotted and blotched with brown and black; centre of the abdomen wholly buff; upper
surface pale brown, crossed by numerous narrow freckled bars of white; tail crossed by
six or eight similar bars.

Total length, 8: inches; dell, 5,; wing, 41; taal, 21; tarse, 11; middle toe and nail, 11.

Ortyx leucotis, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., Part XI. p. 133.

 

Tue present species is one of the novelties that have rewarded the late researches of naturalists among
the heretofore little-explored regions of the Andes. Numerous specimens transmitted from S* Fé de Bogota
have from time to time come under my notice.

In point of affinity, the White-eared Partridge is more nearly allied to the Hupsychortyx cristatus than to
any other member of the group; from which, however, it differs in many particulars, and is altogether a
much more beautifully marked species. The well-defined spotting of the chest and abdomen, contrasted as
it is with the rich chestnut colouring of the remainder of the feathers of those parts, and the deep chestnut
brown of the throat, are characters by which it may at all times be distinguished.

A comparison of the accompanying illustration, which represents a male, a female, and a young bird of
the natural size, with that of Eupsychortyx cristatus, will, however, enable the reader to perceive these
differences and characters far more readily than the most lengthened description.

Of the history of this species nothing is at present known.

Habitat, S* Fé de Bogota.