178 GROUSE, BOB-WHITES, ETC. 



ORDER GALLIN-aE. GALLINACEOUS BIRDS. 



Family Tetraonid^. Grouse, Bob-whites, etc. 



Of the two hundred species contained in this family, one hundred 

 belong in the subfamily Perdicince or Old-World Partridges and 

 Cjjuails, sixty in the subfamily Odontophorinm or New- World Par- 

 tridges and Bob-whites, and twenty-five in the subfamily TetraonincB 

 or Grouse, inhabiting the northern parts of the northern hemisphere. 

 Generally speaking, these birds are non-migratory, though there are 

 some striking exceptions among the Perdicince. After the nesting 

 season they commonly gather in " coveys " or bevies, usually composed 

 of the members of but one family. In some species these bevies unite 

 or " pack," forming large flocks. As a rule, they are terrestrial, but 

 may take to trees when flushed, while some species habitually call and 

 feed in trees. They are game birds par excellence, and, trusting to 

 the concealment afforded by their dull colors, attempt to avoid detec- 

 tion by hiding rather than by flying, or, in sportsman's phraseology, 

 " lie well to a dog." Their flight is rapid and accompanied by a start- 

 ling ivhirr, caused by the quick strokes of their small, concave, stiff- 

 feathered wings. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



A. Tarsi bare 289. Bob-white. 280a. Florida Bob-white. 



B. Upper third or half of tarsi feathered. 



300. Ruffed Grouse. 300a. Canada Ruffed Grouse. 



C. Tarsi enth*ely feathered, toes bare. 



a. With bunches of elonocated, stifiened feathers sprinffinfr from either side 

 of the neck 305. Prairie Hen. 306. Heath Hen, 



h. Feathers of neck normal. 

 h^. Outer web of primaries spotted with white. 



3086. Prairie Sharp-tailed Grouse. 

 J". Primaries not spotted with white 298. Canada Grouse. 



D. Tarsi and toes entirely feathered 301. Ptarmigan and races. 



289. Colinus virginianus (Lin >i.). Bob-white ; Quail ; Partridge. 

 Ad. $ in winter. — I5pper parts varying from reddish brown to chestnut; in- 

 terscapulars with broken and sometimes complete black bars; inner vane 

 of tertials widely margined with cream-buft"; rump grayish brown, finely 

 mottled, and with a few streaks of blackish ; tail ashy gray, the inner feath- 

 ers finely mottled with buffy ; front of tlie crown, a band from the bill to be- 

 neath the eye, and a band on the upper breast black ; throat and a broad line 

 from the bill over the eye white ; sides rufous-chestnut, margined with black 

 and white ; lower breast and belly white barred with black. Ad. 9 in win- 

 ter, — Similar, but the throat and line over the eye, forehead, and lores pale 

 ochraceous-bulf ; little or no black on the upper breast. Summer examples 



