400 CAPERCAILZIE. 



limits of the pine growth: where the latter begin to 

 disappear, the birch tree replaces the pine ; still further 

 north the birch gradually gives place to barren moor- 

 lands (called Tundras in Siberia), and in this region, 

 upon its bushy margins we venture to fix the usual home 

 of that splendid game bird, the capercailzie, a species 

 of gigantic grouse, that often run up to 12 or 14 Ibs 

 in weight. This bird is however of a very wild and 

 wandering nature, keeping mostly in the dwarf bush 

 on the edge of the moorlands in summer, where it 

 feeds upon the numerous berry-bearing plants ; descend- 

 ing during winter to the pine forest, where it lives 

 upon the young shoots of the pine trees, so that its 

 flesh towards spring frequently acquires quite a dis- 

 agreeable flavour of turpentine as also does that of 

 the other kinds of forest grouse at the same time of 

 year. In America, the most common and widespread 

 of the forest grouse, is the ruffed grouse (Tetrao 

 Umbellus) in that part of the world known under several 

 names, such as the birch partridge or the American 

 pheasant. This fine bird is common, from Georgia 

 northwards as far as the barren grounds of Northern 

 Canada, right across the continent in wooded districts. 

 Its favourite places of resort being high mountains, 

 covered with pine, and other trees : it is seldom found 

 on open plains. * 



The variety that inhabits the American plains region 

 is the prairie chicken or pinnated grouse (Tetrao Cupido), 

 a splendid game bird, which is abundant throughout 

 the prairie region especially near the haunts of men, 

 where there are cultivated lands, the prairie chicken 



* See Frank Forrester's American Field Sports (by Henry W. 

 Herbert), Vol. i, p. 65. 



