558 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1816. 



'24. The rabbit is the same with 

 tliosc of our own country, and 

 are found indiillnently, eitiier on 

 the pi'.-iiiies or the woodltmds, and 

 are not \ery abundant. 



25. 'J'he polecat is also found 

 in every part of this country : 

 they are very abundant on some 

 parts of the (Jolunibiay particu- 

 larly in tlie neighbourhood of the 

 Great Falls and Narrows of that 

 river, where they live in th? cliRs 

 along the ri\er, and feed on the 

 ofF.d of the Indian fishing shores. 

 They are of th«? same species as 

 those found in the other parts of 

 North America. 



Birds. 



The birds which we liavc seen 

 between the Rocky mountains 

 and 'iJit^ Pacific may be divided 

 intt> two classes, the terrestiial 

 and tlie aquatic^ In tlie former 

 class arc to be arranged, 



1. The grouse or prairie-hen. 

 This is peculiarly the inhabitant 

 of the great plains of the Colum- 

 bia-, and dues not differ from 

 those of the upper portion of tlie 

 Missouri. The tail is pointed, 

 the feathers in the centre, an<l 

 much longer than those on the 

 sides. Tliis species differs essen- 

 tially in the formation of the 

 plumage from those of the Illi- 

 nois, ^A hich have their tails com- 

 posed of feathers of an e(|ual 

 length. In the winter sca'^on this 

 bird is booted to the fiist joint of 

 the toes ; the toes are c\n'io\isiy 

 bordered on tlicir lower edges 

 with narrow hard scales, which 

 are placed very close to each 

 other, and extend hoiizontally 

 about; one eighth of an inch on 

 each side of the toes, adding unich 

 to the bioaduess of the fett, a 



security which bounteous nature 

 -has furnished them for passing 

 over the snows willi more ease, 

 and, what is very remarkable, in 

 the smmuer season these scales 

 drop from the feet. This bird 

 has four toes on each foot ; the 

 colour is a mixture of dark brown, 

 reddish and yellowish brown, 

 with white confusedly mixed. 

 In this a-^scniblage of coloms, 

 the reddish brown prevails most 

 on the upper parts of the body, 

 wings, and tail, and the white 

 underneath the belly, and the 

 lower parts of the breast and tail. 

 These birds associate in large 

 flocks in autunm and u inter, and 

 e^en in summer ai'e seen in com- 

 panies of five or six. They feed 

 on grass, insects, leases of vari- 

 (ms shrubs in the plains, and on 

 the seeds of several species of 

 speth and wild lye, which grow 

 in richer soils. In winter th«ir 

 food consists of the buds of the 

 willow and cotton-wood, and na- 

 tive berries. 



2. 'I'he cock of the plains is 

 found (m the ])lains of the Colum- 

 bia in gr«"at abundance, from tlie 

 entrance of the south-east fork of 

 the (Columbia to that of Clarke's 

 river. It is about two and three- 

 foui ths the si/.c oP our ordinary 

 turkey : tiie beak is large, short, 

 covered and convex, the upper 

 exceeding the lower chaj) : tiie 

 nostiils aro large, ami the back 

 black ; tlie colom' is an uniform 

 mixtiiie of a dark blown, re- 

 sembling the dove, and a reddish 

 and yellowish brown, v.ith some 

 small black specks. In this mix- 

 ture the dark brown prevails, a!id 

 has a slight cast of the dove- 

 colour : the wider side of the 

 large feathers of the wings are 



of 



