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INTRODUCTION.

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are woods enough to afford covert for so many. They also resort to the bushy plains and ravines of the
hills. Displaying all the watchfulness of the Virginian Quail, they are even more swift of foot, eluding
pursuit by running and hiding with surprising speed ; but upon sudden alarm are more apt to fly into the
trees, where they lie close upon the horizontal branches like so many squirrels, which, added to their colour,
resembling somewhat the bark, renders them difficult to be seen. They are exceedingly graceful in their
deportment, and when running have the crest elevated and thrown backwards; but when at rest, walking

on the ground or over piles of brush, carry it curved forward overhanging the front.

“The nest is formed upon the ground at the foot of a tree, or under cover of a bush. The number of
ege's is sometimes very great, as in the instance of one which I found at Monterey, July 20th. It was a
shallow hole scratched in the ground at the foot of an oak-tree, with a few blades of dried grass around
the sides, but bare at the bottom, and contained twenty-four eggs! I judged from the appearance of them,

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that two birds had laid in the same nest, as fifteen of them were of a different shade from the others.”

18. Callipepla Gambelii . ; ; : é : 3 : PI. XVI
19. ———— elegans . : : : : : : : Pl. XVIII.
20. ———— Douglasii .

Call. Cristd nigrescenti fusca, recurvata, spatuliformi.
Crest blackish brown, inclined backwards, and of a spatulate form.

Ortyx Douglasii, Vig. in Zool. Journ. vol. iv. p. 354.—Doug. im Linn. Trans. vol. xvi. p. 145.—Jard. and Selb. Ill.
Orn. vol. iii. pl. 107.—Vig. in Zool. of Beechey’s Voy. p. 27. pl. 11.—Less. Ill. de Zool. texte de pl. 52, and

Birds of Am. vol. iv. pl. 418, young.

Lophortyxr Douglasi, Bonap. List of Birds of Eur. and Am. p. 43.

The original and only specimen of this species known, is in the Collection of the Zoological Society of
London, to which it was presented by Captain Beechey. It appears to me to be an immature bird, and I
was for a long time doubtful whether it might not prove to be a female or young of Cullipepla elegans; the
uniform blackish brown colouring of the crest, which in my opinion would not be found to characterize that
of C. elegans at any age, has, however, determined me in retaining it as distinct. If my supposition of the
specimen in question being immature be correct, the adult male will doubtless be a bird of considerable
beauty, although, from the temperature of the latitudes it is said to inhabit, it is not likely that it will be

so brilliant in plumage as the more southern species.

Habitat. Western coasts of America.

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