OMNIVOROUS BIRDS AND PROTOCHORDATES 239 



The Pheasant Family is one of the most important of those 

 Included under the game-birds, and it is exemplified by a number 

 of well-known forms. The smallest species are the Quails, of 

 which one kind, the Common or Migratory Quail (Coturnix com- 

 munis] is an inhabitant of Britain from May to October, and is 

 notable for the wide extent of its range through the countries 

 of the Old World. Its favourite haunts are to be found in fertile 

 plains, and its food consists mainly of seeds, insects, and slugs. 

 The Common Partridge (Perdix cinered] is like a large quail in 

 appearance, and its habits are much the same. Snails are reputed 

 to be a favourite article of diet. This species is found in Britain 

 throughout the year, and has a wide range in Europe and Central 

 Asia. The Pheasant (Phasianus Colchicus) of our game-preserves 

 is not a native species, but was in all probability introduced by the 

 Romans. The present breed is of mixed origin, but the home of 

 the original species is to be found in South-east Europe and the 

 adjacent parts of Asia. Thick undergrowth is more congenial to 

 this bird than open country, and it commonly roosts in trees. Its 

 food consists chiefly of berries, grain, worms, &c., and, like most 

 of its congeners, it is a ground-feeder. Some of our domesticated 

 birds are related species introduced from various countries, as the 

 Peacock (Pavo cristatus] from India, the Red Jungle- Fowl (Gallus 

 bankiva), which is the original Indian stock from which the various 

 breeds of domestic fowls are derived, the Guinea- Fowl (Numida 

 meleagris] from West Africa, and the Turkey (Meleagris gallipavo] 

 from North America. 



Our largest game-bird, the Capercaillie ( Tetrao urogallus) is 

 a native of the pine-forests typical of the mountainous parts of 

 Europe and Central Asia, and was fairly common in Ireland and 

 Scotland up to about 1770, at which date its extermination was 

 completed. In 1838 it was reintroduced into the latter country. 

 Though partly a ground-feeder upon insects, worms, and berries, 

 its chief food is obtained among the trees in the form of young 

 pine-shoots. The Black Grouse of our moorlands (Lyrurus 

 tetrix) is a related form, and so also is the Red Grouse (Lagopus 

 Scoticus), which is the only bird peculiar to Britain. The latter 

 species, however, is mainly, if not entirely, vegetarian in habit. 



