146 TETRAO TETRIX. 



strong bird, it does not in ordinary circumstances exhibit much 

 vivacity. The body is very full, the neck of moderate length, 

 the head of ordinary size, oblong, and rather compressed. The 

 feet are rather short and strong ; the tarsus is short, feathered 

 anteriorly and on the sides, covered behind with roundish scales 

 concealed by the feathers. The toes are rather small and slender 



for so large a bird ; 

 the first very small, 

 the second and fourth 

 of moderate length 

 and about equal, the 

 third much longer ; 

 the anterior connect- 



FxG. 42. . 1 , , 



ed at the base by 

 short scaly membranes ; the soles padded, soft, covered with 

 large, soft, rounded tubercles. On the first toe are ten, on 

 the second eighteen, on the third thirty, on the fourth twenty- 

 two transversely elongated, imbricated scutella ; on each side 

 of which is a single row of squarish scales, then a marginal 

 series of linear, flattened, obtuse scales, projecting like the 

 teeth of a comb. These linear scales are wanting on the 

 hind toe. The claws are rather short, strong, considerably 

 arched, obtuse, somewhat compressed, flattened beneath. 



The wings are short, broad, curved and much rounded. The 

 quills twenty-five ; the primary strong, decurved, narrowed 

 from near the base ; the fourth longest, the third and fifth al- 

 most as long, the second longer than the seventh, the first 

 longer than the eighth ; the secondary incurved, truncato- 

 rotundate and acuminate. The tail is composed of eighteen 

 feathers ; those in the middle short and truncate, the four late- 

 ral on each side gradually elongated, curved outwards, truncato- 

 i*otundate, with a slight notch. 



The plumage in general is remarkably full, the feathers be- 

 ing abundantly do^Amy at the base, and furnished with rather 

 long plumules. About the base of the bill they are very short, 

 rounded, and compact ; on the head small, narrow, and round- 

 ed ; on the neck large, broad, abruptly rounded ; on the fore 



