
in the snow in winter with its long shovel-like claws. 
Its flesh is much esteemed for the table. 
Fig. b. The Black Grouse (Zetrao tetrix) is 
as large as a moderate-sized cock, and is a beautiful 
bird. 
a curved and forked tail. The female is rusty-brown, 
and her tail is not forked. It is an extremely. shy 
and wary bird, and is more common in Northern 
than in Central Europe. It feeds on tender shoots 
and leaves. The young are hatched in a rough 
nest among heath, and feed at first on insects, ant’s 
eggs, &c. They vary from six to fifteen in number. 
Fig. c. The Capercaillie (Zetrao urogallus) is 
considerably larger than the last species, and is one of 
the handsomest birds which inhabit the forests of 
Europe. Our figure represents the cock bird, who 
is adorned with a black tuft of feathers under the 
chin. The female is much smaller, and almost uni- 
form reddish brown. The Capercaillie is found in 
all the mountainous parts of Northern Europe and 
Siberia, where it feeds on berries, pine-needles, fir- 
cones, &c. It has lately been reintroduced into 
Scotland, (where it had become extinct,) from Nor- 
way. It is in season in March and April. 
In the Partridges, the head is clothed with 
feathers above the eyebrows, and there is a small 
bare triamgular space behind the eyes. The short, 
moderately arched beak is only slightly hooked, and 
the nostrils are free from feathers. The moderately 
long legs are not feathered, and the wings are short. 
They feed more on grubs and insects than on corn, 
and frequent the open fields, where they run better 
than they fly. 
Fig. d. The Partridge (Ferdix cinerea) has 
greyish feathers with dark brown stripes and blotches, 
and the male has a brown 
horse-shoe shaped mark on 
the breast. The bird looks 
hikes-asclod-of earth at a 
little distance, and this serves 
as a great protection against . 
its numerous enemies. _ It 
rises from the ground with 
a heavy flight and loud chat- 
tering cry, but then skims 
away with great swiftness at a moderate height from 
the ground. In England it is generally sought for 
in stubble-fields, but on the Continent it likewise 
frequents vineyards. 
Fig. e. The Red-legged Partridge (Caccadis 
vubra) is rather larger than the last species; the 
cheeks and throat are white, bordered outside by a 
broad black band; the back of the head and neck 
are reddish brown, the back is reddish grey, the 
breast and sides ashy grey, with black white and 
rusty transverse bands, the belly yellowish red, the 
four middle tail-feathers reddish grey, and the other 
twelve rusty red. The beak and legs are bright 
red. It is found in the south of Europe, and in 
the adjacent parts of Asia and Africa. 
Fig. f. The Greek Partridge (Caccabis saxa- 
Egg of Partridge, 
tilis) may be distinguished from the last species by _ 
the sharply-defined black band which surrounds the 
white throat, and by the. bluish-green feathers on 
the sides, which are marked with a_ rusty-yellow 
transverse stripe between two black ones before the 
dark reddish brown tips. This bird inhabits the 
mountains of Southern Europe and Asia, and 
Northern Africa. 
The cock has black plumage, shading into | 
blue on the head, a white band on the wings, and | 

15 



Phasianida. 
(Plate XXII.) 
Family I. (Phéasants.) 
The domestic Fowl! and its allies have a raised 
comb on the top of the head, two wattles, or bare 
folds of skin under the throat, and a tail composed 
of fourteen feathers, in which the large tail-coverts 
are considerably lengthened in the cock, when he 
has attained two-thirds of his growth. In the wild 
hen the comb and wattles are replaced by feathers. 
Fig. h. The Cock (Gallus bankiva, var.) There 
are a great number of breeds of domestic fowl, 
varying very much in size, colour, and even habits. 
We have figured one of those which resemble the 
original Jungle Fowl (Gallus bankiva) of Java, from 
which our domestic breeds are believed to have been 
derived. 
(Plate XXIII.) 
The Pheasants are the most beautiful birds of 
their Order. They are generally of considerable 
size, and the plumage of many species, at least in 
the male birds, is magnificent. The tail frequently 
attains an extraordinary development, and in some 
species can be spread out like a fan. 
The Pheasant (Phaszanus colchicus) is a native 
of Western Asia, but has long been acclimatised in 
Europe. It is reddish-brown, with the head and 
neck greenish blue. 
Fig. a. In the Silver Pheasant (Euplocamus 
nycthemerus) the male is silvery white and bluish 
black, and the female is yellowish brown and dirty 
white. It is a native of China, but is often seen in 
menageries, and sometimes in large poultry-yards. 
Fig. b. The Golden Pheasant (7zaumalea picta) 
is also a Chinese bird; and is generally to be seen 
in Europe in company with the last. 
Fig. c. The Argus Pheasant (Argus giganteus) 
is nearly as larger as a peacock, measuring five feet 
in total lenght; the female is much smaller than the 
male. It inhabits Sumatra, Malacca, &c. where its 
colours assimilate so well with the surrounding woods 
that it is almost impossible to catch a sight of the 
bird itself. 
In the genus Favo there is a crest of long 
feathers on the head. There are eighteen tail- 
feathers, which are curved inwards, and overlapped 
by the long tail-coverts, which are extremely deve- 
loped in the male, and most beautifully coloured, 
and can be raised like a fan with the aid of the 
tail-feathers. The Peatowl inhabits the East Indies, 
Fig. d. The Peacock (Pavo cristatus) was 
brought to Greece from India by Alexander the 
Great, and has since spread over Europe, where it 
is justly admired as the largest and most beautiful 
of our domesticated birds. The Peacock has his 
drawbacks, however. He is fond of perching on 
trees and roofs, and uttering his shrill unmusical 
cry. He is a savage bird, and at times dangerous. 
A white variety of the Peacock is sometimes reared. 
Fig. e. The Impeyan Pheasant (Lophophorus 
impeyanus) is another very beautiful bird, classed by 
some authors with the Peafowl. The female is in- 
conspicuously coloured, with brown, greyand yellowish 
markings, but the male has the head, neck, and back 
magnificently shining with metallic green , red and 
yellow. The hinder part of the back is white, the 
tail reddish brown, and the belly black. It is found 
in the mountains of Northern India. 
