PINNATED GROUS. 33 



from America; but from what particular part could not tell.* 

 Buffon has confounded it with the Ruffed Grous, the common 

 Partridge of New England, or Pheasant of Pennsylvania ( Te- 

 trao umbellus;} Edwards and Pennant have, however, discov- 

 ered that it is a different species; but have said little of its note, 

 of its flesh, or peculiarities; for, alas! there was neither voice, 

 nor action, nor delicacy of flavour in the shrunk and decayed 

 skin from which the former took his figure, and the latter his 

 description; and to this circumstance must be attributed the 

 barrenness and defects of both. 



That the curious may have an opportunity of examining to 

 more advantage this singular bird, a figure of the male is here 

 given as large as life, drawn with great care from the most 

 perfect of several elegant specimens shot in the Barrens of 

 Kentucky. He is represented in the act of strutting, as it is 

 called, while with inflated throat he produces that extraordinary 

 sound so familiar to every one who resides in his vicinity, and 

 which has been described in the foregoing account. So very 

 novel and characteristic did the action of these birds appear to 

 me at first sight, that, instead of shooting them down, I sketch- 

 ed their attitude hastily on the spot; while concealed among a 

 brush-heap, with seven or eight of them within a short distance. 

 Three of these I afterwards carried home with me. 



This rare bird, though an inhabitant of different and very 

 distant districts of North America, is extremely particular in 

 selecting his place of residence; pitching only upon those tracts 

 whose features and productions correspond with his modes of 

 life; and avoiding immense intermediate regions that he never 

 visits. Open dry plains, thinly interspersed with trees, or par- 

 tially overgrown with shrub-oak, are his favourite haunts. 

 Accordingly we find these birds on the Grous plains of New 

 Jersey, in Burlington county, as well as on the Brushy plains 

 of Long Island among the pines and shrub-oaks of Pocano, in 

 Northampton county, Pennsylvania over the whole extent of 

 the Barrens of Kentucky on the luxuriant plains and prairies 



*CATESB, Car. p, 101, App, 

 VOL. in. F 



