TETRAONID^: GROUSE. 731 



Eggs numerous, colored. The family thus characterized is the best defined division of the 

 GallincB. It has been customary to include the Partridges and Quails in a family Tetraonidce, 

 then separated into Tetraonince for the Grouse, and one or more subfamilies for the Partridges, 

 etc. Such was the arrangement in former editions of the Key, still kept up by the A. 0. U. But 

 the latest monographer of the Gallince, Ogilvie-Grant, has taught us better ; and I alter my 

 earlier scheme accordingly. There is no exception to the characters of Tetraonidce as here 

 drawn ; and only two or three equivocal genera of PerdicidcB connect the two families. (See 

 under PerdicidcB, beyond.) 



The true Grouse are confined to the northern hemisphere, and reach their highest devel- 

 opment, as a family, in North America, where singularly varied forms occur. All species of 

 this family used to be referred to a single genus Tetrao — the only generic name familiar to 

 sportsmen and others who make no technical study of birds. But such must not be surprised 

 to find me discarding this well-known name, and adopting several different ones as generic des- 

 ignations of our Grouse, which differ much among themselves, in points of form and structure, 

 and are all widely diverse from such as " Tetrao" urogallus or Tetrao tetrix, both of Europe. 

 The latter is now made type of the Linusean genus Tetrao, upon the " principle of elimination " 

 in restricting the old names of 'heterogeueous genera, adopted by the A. 0. U. — a method of 

 procedure in which I fully concur. T. tetrix is the " black game " of Europe; the ^ has curi- 

 ously curled tail-feathers, 18 iu number, producing a lyre-shaped tail, whence the synonym 

 Lyriirus for this genus. There is a second species, T. mlokosieiviczi — the bird's tail may re- 

 semble a lyre, but there is no music in its name ! The genus Urogallus includes four species 

 of Capercaillies, of Europe and Asia — U. urogallus, U. uralensis, U. 2}'-if'i'irostris, and 

 U. kamtschaticus. These are tlie largest Grouse, some two feet long, heavy-bodied, with 18- 

 feathered tail. The sickle-winged species of Falcipennis represents our Canada Grouse in 

 Siberia, and like it has 16 tail-feathers. Similarly our Ruffed Grouse is represented in Europe 

 and Asia by three species of tlie genus Tetrastes, iu which the ruffle is rudimentary, tlie tail has 

 only 16 feathers, and the sexes differ more than they do iu Bonasa ; T. bonasia, T. griseiventris, 

 and T. severtsovi compo.se this genus. The ouly one common to both hemispheres is Lagopus ; 

 the species of which, together with those of the other genera named in this paragraph, and 

 those of Nortli America now to be treated, citmpose the family TetraonidcB. 



Summary of North American Tetraonidce — Grouse, with feathers on the shank. 



Sage Grouse: Sage Cock; Sage Hen; Cock-of-the-Plaius. Wcsieru. One species: 

 Centrocercus urophasianus. 



Sharp-tailed Grouse: Pin-tail Grouse; Prairie Hen or Prairie Chicken of the North- 

 west. 1 s])ecies : Pediacetes i^hasianellus, with 2 subspecies. 



Pinnated Grouse : common Prairie Hen or Prairie ChicUeu of the Mississippi, Ohio, 

 and Lower Missouri valleys. .'i species: T. cupido (Martha's Vineyard); T. ameri- 

 canus, witli a subspecies ; T. pallidicinctus. 



Tree Grouse: Spruce Grouse; Spotted Grouse; in the Noriliern States species im- 

 properly called " partridge." Two species : C. caiuidensis, Eastern : C. franklini. 

 Western. 



Dusky I'ree Grouse: oue species: Dendragapus obacurun, witli 2 subspecies, all 

 Western. 



Ruffed Grouse: imiinipt'rly calk-il " paitiidge" in llit- Nnrtlirru and "})lu'asant" in tlio 

 Middle and Southern Stales. One species: Botuisa umbcUus, of 2 or ''^ subs|K'cies. 



Snow Grouse or Ptarmigan : bnreal and alpine, turniui,' white in winter. Several spe- 

 cies or subspecies : as Lagopus ltigoj)us, L. rupcstns, L. Icucurus, etc. 



