42 THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 



Disposition and Habits. — These are not very intelli- 

 gent birds, and the males are intensely quarrelsome 

 in the breeding season ; but, on the whole, they are 

 sociable. They dust themselves instead of bathing, 

 and usually scratch for food. Almost all poly- 

 gamous birds belong to this family. 



Economic Qualities. — This is the most valuable family 

 of birds, their use for food being so well known, 

 while the small species are great destroyers of 

 insects and weed-seeds — as, indeed, are the larger, 

 though these may be destructive to crops. 



Captivity. — These birds are easy to keep and breed, 

 and we have several species fully domesticated — 

 the Common Fowl, Guinea-Fowl, Turkey and Pea 

 cock, not to mention the Golden and Silver Phea- 

 sants, reared for the last century in captivity, and 

 several less well-known kinds also regularly bred 

 in aviaries. Many are also bred for sport. 



Distribution and Important Species. — The family, 

 which contains nearly four hundred species, as 

 a whole, is found all over the world, but hardly 

 any species except the widely-ranging Common 

 Quail {Coturnix communis) of the Old World is 

 migratory. The various sectional groups, how- 

 ever, have very distinct habitats. The Grouse 

 {TetraonincB), with feathered covering to the 

 nostrils and toes either feathered or fringed at the 

 sides with narrow scales, are confined to and 

 eminently characteristic of the northern parts of 

 the Old World. They are often ranked as a sepa- 

 rate family. The Guinea-fowls are purely African, 

 the Turkeys American, as are also the group of 

 Quails known as Colins, of which the pretty 

 crested Californian Quail {Lophortyx californicus) 

 is a familiar example, and also the Bobwhite 

 {Colimis viyginianus), the familiar game-bird of 

 the United States. The Pheasants, Pea-fowl 



