30 PROCEEDINGS MANCHESTER INSTITUTE 



Pyed Plover, Charadrius apricarius [.^gialitis 



semipalmata ?]. 



Large Spotted Plover, Charadrius maculatus [ ? ]. 



Peep, Rallus carolinus [Porzana Caro- 



lina?]. 



Wild Ti'Rkkv, Meleagris gallopavo [Meleagris 



gallopavo fera]. 



Wild Ttirkies were formerly very numerous. In winter 

 they frequented the sea shore, for the sake of picking small fish- 

 es and marine insects, which the tide leaves on the flats. Josse- 

 lyn, who resided eight years in the Province of Maine, and 

 wrote in 1672, says, that he had eaten part of one, which, when 

 prepared f or the spit, weighed thirty pounds , and Wood, who 

 visited the country earlier, and wrote in 1639, speaks of some 

 which weighed forty pounds. They are now retired to the 

 inland mountainous country. Dr. Goldsmith doubts whether 

 any of this breed have been tamed in America. They certainly 

 have been tamed ; but they are degenerated in size by their 

 domestication, scarcely an}- being more than half so heavy as 

 those above mentioned. The turkey is a rambling bird, and 

 runs with great speed on the ground. The tame flocks fre- 

 quently wander, and cannot be fatted till the snow prevents 

 their excursions. 



Growse, Tetrao [Cauachites canaden- 



sis canace]. 



The growse is rarely seen, as there are no dry heaths in 

 New-Hampshire, but on the tops of the largest mountains, 

 which are seldom visited by man. This bird has a red head, 

 is larger than the partridge, and its flesh, though red and dry, 

 has a high flavour, and is very tender. 



Quail, Tetrao virginiaiius [Colinus virgin- 



ianus]. 



PARTRIDGEi Tetrao marilandicus [Bonasa um- 



bel 1 us togata]. 



The partridge is very common in our woods. Some of our 

 epicurean gentry have begun to fear, that its race will be too 

 soon extinct ; hut there is no danger. This bird is very prolific ; 

 it is common to find twenty- of its eggs in a nest ; and it has sev- 

 eral coveys in a season [ ! ]. QrAii,s are equally prolific. In 

 the southern and middle vStates, the quail is called a partridge, 

 and the partridge a pheasant The true pheasant is not a 

 native of our wilderness. The late Governor Wentworth 

 brought several pairs of pheasants from England, and let them 



