GAME OF AMERICA. 35 



It is to those stupid misnomers, as I shall show hereafter, that 

 one-half the confusion and difficulty arises among sportsmen 

 with regard to the objects of their pursuit. 



We now come to the winged game ; and here we shall find 

 less difficulty in deciding what species are properly game; 

 though, with regard to one or two families, much more in ascer- 

 taining the correct denominations of the birds themselves, it 

 being no easy task to assign the individuals known by some bar- 

 barous nickname to any real tribe or order. 



All the game birds, proper, of this continent, then, belong to 

 three orders ; one of land, and two of — as they are called — wa- 

 ter birds ; although several species of the latter are found inland 

 and on uplands. 



All our game, coming under the head of land-birds, proper, 

 are of the order termed by ornithologists Rasores ; and belong to 

 two families, Pavonidct, and TetraonidcB ; or birds following the 

 types of the Peacock, and of the Grouse. Of these again we 

 have three subdivisions — Meleagris, or Turkey ; Ortyx, or Ame- 

 rican Quail ; and Tetrao, or Grouse. 



Of the second* family Pavonidce, and first genus Meleagris, the 

 United States possess but one species. 



The Wild Turkey. Meleagris Gallipavo. 



Of the third family TetraonidcB, and first genus, Ortyx, Quail, 

 there are no less than six distinct species within the territories 

 now belonging, or about shortly to belong, to the United States ; 

 and I think it well at least to mention their names and places of 

 residence ; as experience teaches us that our population spreads 

 with such vast rapidity, that tracts, which are a wilderness one 

 year, are the next almost thickly settled places ; so that it is by 

 no means impossible, nor even very improbable, that within a 

 few years, more or less, these varieties of Quail, now known only 

 to a few minute and laborious ornithologists, may be as regularly 

 hunted and as scientifically killed as our own domestic bird ot 

 the same kin. They are these — 



* The first family, Columbidco, of this order, the third of land-birds, are not 

 game. 



