PHASIANID.E ; TURKEYS, PEACOCKS. TETBAONIDJE. 4Sl 



wattles, which are larger jn them than in any other birds of this 

 family, are loose flaps of skin, copiously supplied with blood- 

 vessels, and capable of being contracted or dilated at pleasure ; 

 they are greatly affected by the emotions of the animal, becoming 

 distended, and of a heightened colour, under the influence of 

 fear or anger, probably in the same manner as the cheeks of 

 Man are reddened by the blush of shame or the excitement of 

 rage. Turkeys are natives of the forests of North and Central 

 America, where they feed on grain and other vegetable sub- 

 stances ; and their introduction into Europe, therefore, has 

 been of comparatively recent date. The Peacocks are distin- 

 guished by the great length of the tail coverts, and by the 

 peculiar arrangement of the numerous feathers, which enables 

 the bird to spread them out into a complete circle at will. They 

 are inhabitants of Asia, where they inhabit the woods and 

 jungles, feeding on grain, buds, &c. 



433. The family of TETRAONID^E, or Grouse, may be re- 

 garded as representing the preceding group in the northern parts 

 of Europe, Asia, and America, to which it is nearly restricted. 

 It has many characteristics in common with it ; but the wings 

 are generally long and acute, and the legs more or less covered 

 with feathers. The Grouse, of which only a single species the 

 Black- Cock now exists in Britain, but of which there are seve- 

 ral on the Continent of Europe, are generally strong heavy Birds, 

 varying in size from that of a Turkey to that of a common 

 Pigeon. They live upon various kinds of vegetable substances ; 

 such as the soft shoots and leaves of trees and shrubs, grasses, 

 berries, and seeds. Although they generally gather their food 

 on the ground, some of them betake themselves to trees for that 

 purpose, and many occasionally perch. In their movements 

 they closely resemble the Partridges ; but they frequent different 

 localities, preferring low, clamp, grassy, or ferny places, in the 

 neighbourhood of woods or thickets ; and are more shy and 

 wary in their habits. Besides the Black Grouse, another species, 

 known as the Cock of the Woods, or Capercailzie, was formerly 

 abundant in Scotland. Having been extirpated for the last half 

 century by the indiscriminate zeal of sportsmen, and by the 



