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_, 9-1/4, wing 4-7/12. _Female_, 9, wing 4-7/12.
Upper California. Abundant. Resident.
Californian Partridge, Perdix californica, Aud. Orn. Biog. v.
v. p. 152.