THE SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF THE GROUSE 3 



passing reference to the group called by Huxley, Peristeropodes, where the toes 

 are all in one plane ; this includes the families Megapodiidee or Mound-Builders 

 of the eastern tropics, and the Cracidse or Curassows of the neotropical 

 countries. Huxley's second group, the Alectoropodes, with an elevated hind 

 toe, is equivalent to the family Phasianidas, which may be subdivided into the 

 subfamilies Numidinse, or Guinea-fowls, of Africa, the Meleagrinas, or Turkeys, 

 of America, the Odontophorina3, or " American Partridges," the Phasianinae, or 

 Pheasant, Partridge, and Fowl alliance of the Old World, and the Tetraoninae. 

 or Grouse. The last-named might well be classed as a separate family 

 Tetraonidse, were it not for the great difficulty of placing correctly such forms 

 as Caccabis (Red-legged Partridge), Francolinus (Fraucolin), and Coturnix 

 (Quail), which are so nearly allied to both Partridges and Grouse that we may 

 even doubt the advisability of allowing a separate subfamily Tetraoninse at all. 



Grouse, as thus limited, are entirely confined to the Holarctic region, 

 the great majority of the species being inhabitants of the New World, though 

 a fair number, including the fine Capercailzie, the Black Grouse and oistribu- 

 the Hazel Grouse, are to be found in various parts of the Old World. *'°"- 



The Red Grouse of Britain belongs to Lagopus, the only genus of Grouse 

 common to both hemispheres, in which even the digits are feathered. This 

 contains six well-defined species : the Spitsbergen Ptarmigan (L. hemileucurus) 

 and the Rocky Mountain Ptarmigan {L. leucurus) — only found in the regions 

 after which they are named — the Ptarmigan -of Scotland and the mountains 

 of the Palsearctic area {L. mutus), the " Iceland " Ptarmigan of that island, 

 Greenland and the lower grounds of Northern Siberia and Arctic America 

 {L. rupestris), the Willow Grouse of the north of Europe, Asia, and America 

 (L. albics), and the British bird {L. scoticus) — with which alone we are concerned 

 ■ — -indigenous in no other country. 



All the forms of the genus Lagopus are anatomically identical, but the Red 

 Grouse differs from the remaining members in that it does not turn white in 

 winter. It has been thought to be merely the local representative of the 



° •' ^ . . Variation. 



Willow Grouse in Britain, though it difi'ers from that species even in 

 its summer plumage, and never possesses white wing-quills. It varies con- 

 siderably in coloration, as will be seen from the following quotation from " The 

 Cambridge Natural History.' "The male in both summer and winter is more 

 or less chestnut-brown above, with black markings and a reddish head ; the lower 

 parts are similar, but are usually spotted with white. In autumn the brown of 



