IN 1 R OD UC TION. XV 



The three subfamiHes — Perdicin^, Odontopho- 

 RiN^, and Tetraonin^ — comprising the family Te- 

 TRAONiD^, are known in ornithological language as the 

 Alectoropodous (Greek dkiKTwp, alector, a cock -f- ttovo-, 

 pons, a foot) Gallinse, or, to translate it freely, fowl- 

 footed gallinaceous birds, characterized by having the 

 hind toe raised above the plane of the front toes and clear 

 of the ground; differing in this respect from the other 

 section of the order, the pigeon-footed galHnaceous birds, 

 or Peristeropodous (Greek ncpicrTepd, peristera, a pigeon, 

 -\- TTova, pons, a foot) Gallinse, which have the four toes 

 resting on the ground, all on an equal plane. The 

 Grouse are distinguished from all members of the order 

 by having the tarsus, or shank, covered with feathers 

 more or less completely, sometimes even the toes are 

 hidden, resembling in this respect certain rapacious 

 birds, such as Owls and a few species of Hawks and 

 Eagles. As they are mostly inhabitants of countries 

 where the winters are usually long and severe, this pro- 

 vision of nature affords additional and especial protec- 

 tion against the cold, and guards those parts that are 

 particularly exposed from the danger of becoming frozen 

 and probably lost or rendered useless. 



The members of the subfamily Tetraonin^ have 

 many characters that distingush them from other birds, 

 not the least of which is the gracefully shaped and thor- 

 oughly game-like head, high in the rear, or occipital 

 region, with a broad and ample brain case, sloping gradu- 

 ally forward and contracting toward the junction with the 

 ^curved and usually powerful bill. The brain is Large for 

 the size of the birds, and it bestows upon them unusual 

 intelligence, as shown in their cunning, ability to adapt 

 themselves to their surroundings, and fertility of re- 

 sources in avoiding danger. A Quail, Grouse, or Tur- 



