The forgotten history of Oreortyx pictus (mountain quail), discovered by the Lewis and Clark expedition, 1806

Abstract

Many authors have written about the new bird species discovered by members of the Lewis and Clark expedition (1804–1806), but the history of one species in particular –  Oreortyx pictus (mountain quail) – has remained elusive. Primary sources confirm that Lewis returned from the expedition with a specimen (now missing), which he deposited in the Philadelphia Museum. However, for unexplained reasons, the specimen was overlooked by Alexander Wilson and other ornithologists. Here, I review primary sources from the expedition and its aftermath, including novel sources that resolve this long-standing puzzle.