of the United States. 125 



204. Perdix californica, Lath. Crested ; cinereous-brown, 

 varied with yellowish; throat black, bounded with white. 



Female lighter, destitute of black. 



Tetrao calif ornic us, Nat. Misc. tab. 345. 



Inhabits, common beyond the Rocky Mountains, especi* 

 ally the shores of the Oregon, and California. 



40. TETRAO. 



Tetrao, L. Gm. Lath. 111. Cuv. Temm. Ranz. 



Lagopus,Briss. Urogallus,Scopoli. Tetrao, Lagopus,Vie.ill. 



Bill entire, feathered at base; upper mandible curved 

 from the base ; membrane covering the nostrils feathered : 

 tongue short, fleshy, acuminate, acute : eye-brows naked, 

 reddish, papillous. Feet moderate ; tarsus feathered, spur- 

 less in both sexes ; toes scutellate ; hind toe half as long as 

 the inner; nails incurved, acute, generally somewhat flat and 

 obtuse. Wings short, rounded, concave ; first primary shorter 

 than the sixth ; third and fourth longest. Tail moderate, of 

 sixteen or eighteen broad close feathers. 



Female of the larger species widely different from the 

 male, these being glossy blackish, whilst the former are va- 

 ried with black and rufous : those of the smaller mottled 

 species differing but little in plumage. Young of the first 

 year similar to the female, moulting twice before they attain 

 their full plumage. Moult twice in the year ; some changing 

 very remarkably at different seasons. 



Wild ; shy, almost untameaMe. Live in families : dwell 

 in forests, barren countries, far from man and cultivation : 

 alight on trees. Feed almost exclusively on berries, buds, 

 and leaves. Polygamous : male abandoning the female as 

 soon as fecundated, and leaving to her the whole care of the 

 progeny: eggs from eight to fourteen. Voice sonorous. 

 Flesh delicious. 



Vol. II. 16 



