File:A history of the birds of Europe, not observed in the British Isles (1862) (14564247417).jpg

Identifier: historyofbirdsof03bree (find matches)
Title: A history of the birds of Europe, not observed in the British Isles
Year: 1862 (1860s)
Authors: Bree, Charles Robert, 1811-1886
Subjects: Birds Birds
Publisher: London, Groombridge and Sons
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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OL. III. 2 K 242 GALLING. Family PERDICID^E. (Bonaparte.) Genus Perdtx. f Brisson.) GREEK PARTRIDGE. Perdix Grceca. Perdix Grceca, rufa, saxatilis,Bartavelle Grecque,Stein-rothehuhn, Rot-huhn,or Weltsch-Paeb-hun,Coiurnice,AoJcer-Hoena, Gesner; Icones Avium, p. 64, 1553.Brisson; 1760. LlNN^US. VlEILLOT. Meyer et Wolff.Of the French. Of the Germans. Savi. Of the Swedes. Specific Characters.—Throat and upper part of the front neckwhite or cream-coloured, which is separated from the unicolorousdove-coloured cross by a black band, broader at the sides, whicliextends from each eye. The central tail feathers extend forthree quarters of an inch beyond the under tail coverts. Lengththirteen inches and a half to fifteen inches; carpus to tip sixinches and a half; tarsus two inches, middle toe and claw ratherlonger; beak three quarters of an inch. The bird which. I have now to notice has beenwell known for three hundred years as Perdix Grceca,or the Greek Partridge. It is closely allied to the
Text Appearing After Image:
DGB. GREEK PARTRIDGE. 243 Red-leg, or French Partridge, but is at once dis-tinguished by its larger size, and by the absence ofthe mottled plumage below the black mark in theneck. The older ornithologists—Gesner, Willughby,and Belloni—acknowledged this affinity by designatingPerdix Grceca as Perdix major or Rufa major; whileRay, Linnaeus, and Albin all referred it to Perdixrufa, the latter even figuring the Red-legged Partridgefor this bird. In the present day we do not findornithologists confounding the two birds, as they areuniversally considered specifically distinct. There are,however, other varieties or races which are consideredby modern naturalists as probably distinct also. Mr.Tristram has sent me two skins, one from the Morea,a male, which may be considered typical; and another,a female, a smaller bird with a rufous throat, whichwas obtained from Crete. But I cannot, after carefulexamination, find anything which age, or sex, ordifference of food might not account for. Mr.

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