AVES. 413 



some of which have proven very useful to man. The barn- 

 yard fowl, turkey, guinea-fowl, pea-fowl, pheasant, grouse and 

 quail, are good examples. They are characterized by strong 

 legs with nails flat and suited to scratching. The beak is stout 

 and bent downward at the point. The feet are adapted to 



FIG. 214. 



FIG. 214. Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus). Photographed by J. W. Folsom. 



perching. As a rule they are poor flyers. It will be seen 

 that the order furnishes many of the game birds of the world, 

 and under proper restrictions the wild species may be made to 

 contribute materially to the food supply. As is true in many 

 other cases, however, the very presence of man in large num- 

 bers makes extermination or domestication the only alterna- 

 tives. Chief among all the domesticated birds is the common 

 fowl, which is descended from a species native to southern 

 Asia (Gallus bankiva). The varieties resulting from human 



