Family	WELCOME PARTRIDGE. [Crested Bobwhite.]
Genus	ORTIX NEOXENUS, Vigors. [Colinus cristatus.]

Nothing is known of this species further than that it was procured in the course of Captain BEECHEY'S voyage, on the north-west coast of America. My drawing was taken from a specimen kindly lent to me by the Council of the Zoological Society of London.

WELCOME QUAIL, Ortyx neoxenus, Vig. Gard. and Menag. of Zool. Soc.,vol. ii. p. 311.
WELCOME PARTRIDGE, Perdix neoxenus, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. v. p. 228.

Length 7 1/2, wing 4 3/8.

California.

Young.

The form and proportions being nearly the same as those of the Plumed and Californian Partridges, it is unnecessary to describe them; the bill, however, is proportionally thicker, and has its tip less decurved. Mr. BENNET'S description is as follows:--

"In size the present bird is smaller than the Californian Quail. Its crest is short, straight, directed backwards, and composed of about half a dozen elongated feathers, of the same pale brown as the forehead in front of them. Round the eyes the brown becomes much paler, but assumes a rufous tinge as it passes backwards, on either side of the head, in two stripes, extending from above and below the eye. Between these stripes, and on the lower and back part of the neck, a number of pale brown and somewhat pointed feathers alternate with broad black ones. The back is of a grizzled brown, with much darker patches; and this colouring extends to the tail, which is crossed by about eight wavy irregular lines of very pale brown. The wing-coverts are dark brown, with light margins; and the quill-feathers dusky-brown, some of them slightly marked on the edges with paler spots. The under surface of the body is dark brown, copiously marked with rounded spots, which are nearly of a pure white; they commence small on the neck, where they are somewhat dingy, and increase in size as they proceed backwards. The bill is black; the iris pale brown; and the claws horn-coloured."

Length to end of tail 7 1/2 inches; bill along the ridge (5 1/4)/12; wing from flexure 4 3/8; tail 2 3/8; tarsus 1 2/12; hind toe 3/12, its claw 2 1/2; middle toe 1 1/12, its claw 4/12. The second quill longest; the tail of twelve feathers.