2ZO2 GALLIFORMES CHAP. 
splendid Capercaillie (7. wrogallus) to the small Quail-like 
Excalphatoria sinensis, ave all weighty birds for their bulk, rising 
heavily and noisily, and travelling with low and steady, though 
often laboured, flight; in many cases the pace is extremely 
rapid, but comparatively short distances are covered before 
alighting. On the whole, they are certainly partial to dry 
localities, which may, however, be prairies and heaths, as in 
many Grouse, wooded or open country generally, as in Pheasants, 
or stony hill-sides, as in Vetraogallus, Ammoperdiz, and some 
species of Lagopus and Caccabis; yet a few seem to prefer the 
vicinity of marshes, and others are constantly met with at con- 
siderable elevations. The great facility with which game-birds 
run, their frequent custom of lying until they are almost trodden 
upon, and that of combining into coveys or packs consisting of 
two or more broods, are too well-known to need lengthy descrip- 
tion here. The strutting and parading of the cocks of the larger 
species is fully noticed below, while the habit common to most 
forms of dusting themselves, instead of washing, is also noticeable. 
Many are almost entirely terrestrial, a love for trees being in fact 
exceptional ; nevertheless, instances might easily be adduced of 
roosting on branches or taking refuge there when disturbed, 
and though Lagopus, Francolinus, and Perdiz are notoriously 
averse to perching, the writer himself has seen five or six 
Red Grouse sitting on low trees, within half an hour. Tetrao, 
Lyrurus, Phasianus, Pavo, and Meleagris well exemplify the 
polygamous habits not unfrequent in the Family, the males 
in such cases usually deserting their mates during incubation ; 
Coturniz and Ortyx, moreover, are stated to be not invariably 
monogamous. The nest is nearly always on or close to the 
ground, and is formed of a few twigs, grass, moss, feathers, and 
leaves; the hole, usually scraped as a commencement, being 
sometimes barely lined. Polyplectron, as a rule, deposits two 
eggs, but the number in most species is much greater, from 
sixteen to twenty being not uncommonly found, or even more 
where two hens lay together—a fairly ordinary practice in 
the group. The colour in Grouse is yellowish or reddish, 
either with rufous spots or close blotches of black, purple, 
or orange-brown; in the Pheasant and Partridge it is uniform 
olive, and in the Odontophorinae pure white, with or with- 
out brown or red markings. Further information is given 
