406 GAME-BIRDS. 



conceded that the sound is produced by the outspread wings of the bird being- 

 brought suddenly downward against the air, without striking anything." 



The hazel-hens form the last PTOUD of the family, and differ from 



Hazel-Hens 



the ruffled grouse in having the plumage of the sexes different, and 

 lacking the conspicuous ruffles on the sides of the neck, while the tail is composed 

 of sixteen instead of eighteen feathers. Besides the common species (Tetrastes 

 bonasia) of Northern and Central Europe from Scandinavia to Kamschatka and 

 Spain to North China, a peculiar form (T. griseiventris), with the breast and under- 

 parts sandy grey narrowly barred with black, comes from Perm in East Russia, 

 while a third (T. severtzowi), with the outer tail-feathers black barred with white, 

 is found in North-East Tibet. The common species, like its North American ally, 

 has two extreme phases of plumage, a rufous and a grey, and every intermediate 

 variety of colour can be found. 



PARTRIDGES, PHEASANTS, TURKEYS, AND GUINEA- FOWLS. 

 Family PHASIANID^!. 



The great bulk of the typical game-birds are included in this family, which 

 contains fifty - nine genera, with forty - seven peculiar to the Old World, and 

 all the remainder American. In all, -the legs and feet are naked, the latter 

 never being fringed with horny comb-like appendages as in the grouse, while many 

 have the legs armed with one or more pairs of spurs. The family may be divided 

 into three subfamilies the first (Perdicince) including the partridges, francolins, 

 and quails, and their allies ; the second (Phasianince) the true pheasants ; and the 

 third (Odontophorince) the American partridges and quails, in which the cutting- 

 edge of the upper mandible is notched. The division between the two first groups 

 is, however, artificial, for the partridges merge into the pheasants, the bamboo- 

 partridges (Bambusicola), the African and Indian spur-fowls (Ptilopachys and 

 Galloperdix) being the principal intermediate forms. The shape of the wing is 

 almost the only character of any importance for distinguishing these groups ; all the 

 pheasants, except the typical genus, having the first primary quill shorter than the 

 tenth, whereas in the partridge the former is equal to or longer than the latter. 

 Unfortunately, the exception among the former is the genus Phasianus, which 

 has the first primary longer than the tenth ; while, on the other hand, in some of 

 the partridges the tenth is somewhat the longer. It is only by using the supple- 

 mentary character of the length of the tail, coupled with the shape of the wing, 

 that it can be decided to which of these divisions some of the species should be 

 referred. Thus the first group of partridges may be briefly characterised as having 

 the first primary quill longer than or equal to (rarely shorter than) the tenth, and 

 the length of the tail less, usually much less, than that of the wing. 

 Snow-Partridges The snow-partridge (Lerwa nivicola), inhabiting the higher 

 and Snow-cocks. Himalayan ranges and extending eastwards into Western China, 

 which is somewhat peculiar in having the upper half of the legs feathered, has the 

 plumage of the upper-parts in both sexes black, narrowly barred with white and 

 rufous, while the general colour of the breast and under-parts is deep chestnut, and 



