Species II. TETRAO CUPIDO. 



TTNNATED r.ROUSE. 



[Plato XXVII. Fig. 1.] 



T.iNN. ffi/nl.. I., p. 274,5. — TiATii. II., p. 7-10. — Arct. Ziiol. — La Oclhinle hn}ip& iT Amer- 

 H/iii; Uiiis.H. Orti. I., p. 212, 10. — Uroiidlim minor, Junrti.i cfriiu't., pliitiiia aUm imi- 

 tunliliiis iliinnlii, C'atk.sii. C'lir. A)i]>. pi. I. — Telrdu tat/ni/itii, the Mimviain Cock, or 

 (I'roiine, Hautiiam, p. 2'.)(). — llntlli-licii, I'rairie-hcn, Jiarrtn-him. 



Bkf()rk I enter (111 a detiiil of tlio observation.'^ wlii<li I Inivc niy.solf 

 persoiiiilly ni;iile on tliia singular species, I shall lay licfori! tlio render a 

 (■,()in|irelienHivi^ unlivery (rireninstiiiiliiil ineinoir on llie sniijeet, eoninmni- 

 eiilcd 1(1 me liy tlie writer, Dr. Siiniiiel ]i. Mileliill of Nt'W York, wlioso 

 cxerlionH, liotli in liiw pnlilio luiil |)rivatc capacity, in behalf of science, 

 iuid in eluciiliitinf^ the natural liistory of liis (rountry, are well known ; 

 and liif^bly lionorablu to bis distingni.slicd situation and abilities. Tinit 

 peculiar tract generally known by the name of the Brushy Plains of 

 Long Island, having boon, for time innneuiorial, the resort of the bird 

 now b(^fore us, some account of this particular range of country seemed 

 necessarily connected with the subject, and has accordingly been oblig- 

 ingly attended to by the learned professor. 



"Nicw YoHK, Sept. 19th, 1810. 

 " Dear Sir, 



" It gives me great pleasure to reply to your letter of the twelfth 

 instant, asking of me information concerning the Grouse of Long 

 Tsland. 



" 'Pile birds which are known there emphatically by the name of 

 (J rouse, inhabit eliieily the forest-range. 'Phis district of the island 

 may be estinnited as being between i'orty and fifty miles in length, 

 ext(Miding from l)ethpliag(^ in (iiioens eount-y to the neighborhood of the 

 (■(Mirt-house in Sullolk. Its breadth is not more than si.x or seven. For 

 altiioiigh the island is bounded by the Sound sejiarating it from Con- 

 neelieul on the north, and by the vltlantie Ocean on the south, there is 

 a margin of several miles on each siile in the actual possession of human 

 beings. 



"The region in which these birds reside, lies mostly within the towns 

 of Oysterbay, Huntington, Islip, Smithtown, and Brook Haven ; though 

 it would be incorrect to say, that they were not to be met with some- 



(27(1) 



