402 



GALLIN.E. 



-BIRDS. TETRAOXIDJE. 



At this period, also, the males are in the habit of 

 assembling in some open glade about dawn, where 

 they strut about and display themselves with extra- 

 ordinary ostentation, occasionally varying these exer- 

 cises by violent combats. 



THE COMMON GROUSE, or RED GROUSE (Lagopus 

 scoticus). The genus Lagopus, which includes several 

 species inhabiting the north of Europe and America, is 

 distinguished by having the feet feathered down to the 

 extremities of the toes. The Eed Grouse is the best 



Fig. 125. 



The Black Grouse 



known species in the British Islands, to which, singu- 

 larly enough, it appears to be exclusively confined ; it 

 is found in the mountainous districts both of England 

 and Ireland, but is most abundant in the Highlands of 

 Scotland. It inhabits the wild heaths and moors, and 

 feeds upon the tender extremities of the branche? 

 of the heather, with cranberries, whortleberries, and 

 other fruits and seeds. Unlike the preceding species, 

 the Red Grouse pair, and the young when hatched are 

 tended by both their parents. The female lays from 

 eight to fifteen eggs in a nest formed of a few stems of 

 heath and grass put together in a hollow of the ground; 

 she lays very early in the spring, and sits very closely. 

 The Red Grouse is about sixteen inches in length, 

 and the general colour of the plumage in the adult 

 male is a fine rich reddish-brown, more or less marked 

 with narrow transverse bars of black. The females are 

 paler. Both sexes vary somewhat in colour at different 

 seasons, but, unlike the nearly allied ptarmigan, the 

 Red Grouse does not become white in winter. The 

 quantity of these birds killed every year by sportsmen 

 is enormous, and poachers probably destroy an equal 

 if not greater number ; so that one is astonished that 

 a bird so mercilessly persecuted should still be able to 

 maintain its position on our moors. 



THE PTARMIGAN (Lagopus Bulgaria) is now met 

 with in this country only on the mountains of Scot- 

 laud, where it dwells amongst the gray rocks of the 

 highest ranges. It is generally distributed on the 

 mountain chains of Europe, especially towards the 

 north, and also occurs in the northern parts of Ame- 

 rica. The Ptarmigan is rather smaller than the red 

 grouse. The colour of its plumage in summer is 

 gray, marked with numerous transverse black bars, 

 especially on the upper surface ; the lower parts are 

 usually white, and the amount of white in the plumage 

 varies greatly with the season of the yean In the 



(Tetrao Tetrii) 



winter the plumage becomes pure white. In summer 

 the Ptarmigan trust to the similarity of their colora- 

 tion to that of the lichen-coated rocks upon which 

 they sit, to escape observation ; and this similarity is 

 so great that a person might pass through the midst 

 of a numerous flock of them without seeing a single 

 bird. Like the red grouse, the Ptarmigan pairs and 

 breeds very early in the spring. 



THE VIRGINIAN QUAIL ( Ortyx virginianus) belongs 

 to a small group of species peculiar to America, and 

 distinguished by having two teeth on each side of the 

 tip of the lower mandible. These birds represent in 

 the New World the Partridges of the Eastern hemi- 

 sphere. The Virginian Quail, or Partridge, as it is 

 sometimes called, is of a reddish-brown colour above, 

 and on the neck and upper part of the breast ; the 

 cheeks, throat, and a band on each side of the neck, 

 are white, as is also the lower surface, which is crossed 

 by numerous undulated black bars ; the primary quills 

 and tail are dusky ash colour. The length is about 

 nine inches. This bird inhabits the greater part of 

 North America, and frequents woods and plantations. 

 Its nest is carefully made under the shelter of . a thick 

 tuft of grass ; it is composed of leaves and grass, and 

 is covered above, with an opening on each side. 



THE CALIFORNIA!! QUAIL (CalUpcpla California}. 

 which is nearly allied to the last species, is a native ol 

 California, where it is met with in the low woods and 

 plains. It is distinguished by having the crown of the 

 head adorned with a graceful crest of elongated black 

 feathers, which generally lie backwards, but are capable 

 of being erected at the pleasure of the bird. 



THE COMMON PARTRIDGE (Perdue cinerea). This 

 well-known bird, which is generally distributed in 

 Britain, is found equally abundantly in almost all parts 

 of Europe, and also inhabits the north of Africa, but it 

 appears that those individuals which pass farthest to 



