ORNITHOLOGY. 



611 



Rasores. first discovered species ( T. satyrus), though usually brought 

 •— ~v— - ~' from Nepaul, has been ascertained also to inhabit Thibet ; 

 and Chinese specimens from the mountain province of Yun- 

 nan were seen by Mr Bennet in Mr Beale's aviary at Ma- 

 cao. 1 



The genus Cryptonyx, Temm., has a bare space around 

 the eye, the tail of medium size and flat, and the tarsi 

 without spurs ; but the most peculiar character consists 

 in the hind toe being destitute of claw. The best-known 

 species is C. coronatus, or rouloul of Malacca (see Plate 

 CCCXCVIII. fig. 5). The female is described by Latham 

 under the title of Tetrao viridis. It inhabits deep forests, 

 is wild and cunning in a state of nature, and in confine- 

 ment impatient of restraint. 



The great genus Tetrao of Linn, has also been greatly 

 subdivided in recent times. All the species seem to agree 

 in having a bare band above the eye. 



The restricted genus Tetrao has the legs covered with 

 feathers, and without spurs. In some the toes are naked, 

 and the tail either forked or rounded. Such is the great 

 wood grouse or capercailzie ( T. urogallus), the largest 

 and finest example of the gallinaceous order indigenous to 

 Europe. In Britain it has been long extinct in the wild 

 state (although of late several times imported with a view 

 to re-establish the breed), and now occurs chiefly in Scan- 

 dinavia, although not unknown among mountainous and 

 woody regions southwards, as far as the Alps of Savoy and 

 the Veronese. Although rather difficult to rear in Britain, 

 the capercailzie is often domesticated in Sweden, where it 

 becomes so tame as to eat familiarly from the hand. 

 Though naturally shy and wary, they sometimes, even in 

 their unreclaimed condition, manifest a singular and un- 

 accountable degree of boldness. Mr Brehm mentions a 

 cock bird that inhabited a wood near Renthendorf, through 

 which there was a roadway, and whenever any one passed 

 through, it would fly towards him, peck at his legs, and 

 strike him with its wings. The black-cock ( T. telrix) is a 

 smaller, but very beautiful species, of hardy habits, and much 

 on the increase in many parts of Britain, where it prefers 

 alpine pastures, with a sprinkling of natural wood, inter- 

 mingled with moist places covered bv long coarse herbage. 

 It is widely dispersed over the northern and temperate 

 parts of Europe, and spreads somewhat farther south than 

 the preceding, being found, though rarely, on the Apen- 

 nines. We know that it breeds among the lofty hills above 

 Albenga, near the Colle de Tende. Other species of bare- 

 toed grouse occur in Europe, and a still greater number in 

 North America. For the history of the latter we must 

 refer to the well-known works of Alexander Wilson, C. 

 L. Bonaparte, Audubon, Richardson, and others. 



Of the feather-footed game-birds (genus Lagopxjs), the 

 most noted for gastronomic excellence is our common red 

 grouse, or moor-game (L. Scoticus), so highly prized and 

 eagerly pursued by sportsmen. This well-known species 

 restricts itself chiefly to the sides of sloping mountains, 

 and those extensive tracts of elevated land called moors, 

 where it is careless of other shelter than that afforded by 

 the natural roughness of the ground, and its plentiful co- 

 vering of heath, or other alpine plants of still more lowly 

 growth. The most singular fact in its history is its re- 

 striction to Great Britain and Ireland, — all other parts of 

 the world, from " Indus to the pole," being sought in vain 

 for a single example. In this little group we also place 

 the ptarmigans, distinguished from the other grouse by the 

 assumption of a snow-white plumage during winter. These 

 birds seem to prefer, in comparatively temperate climates, 

 such as that of Scotland, the bare and stony sides or sum- 

 mits of the highest mountains ; but under the rigorous 

 temperature of Greenland, and the most northern portions 



of America, they are chiefly found in the vicinity of the Rasores. 

 sea-shore, by the banks of rivers, and among the willow s — ~>r— - 

 and other copse woods of the lower and more sheltered 

 vales. The species of Europe and America are not yet in 

 all respects sufficiently characterized and distinguished. 



The genus Pterocles, Temm., has a naked space 

 around the eye, but not of a scarlet colour, as in grouse ; 

 the toes are bare, the hind one very small, and the tail 

 pointed (Plate CCCXCVIII. fig. 6). These birds, called 

 gangas, or sand-grouse, live in sandy plains and deserts in 

 the warmer regions of Asia and Africa, although two spe- 

 cies, Pt. arenarius and setarius, Temm., inhabit some of 

 the southern countries of Europe, especially Spain. The 

 latter is the pin-tailed grouse of Latham, Tetrao alchata, 

 Gmelin. 



The genus Perdix of Brisson contains the partridges, 

 distinguished by having the legs or tarsi bare, as well as 

 the toes. The tail is also very short, although of greater 

 length among the kind called francolins, and other foreign 

 species. Of these several are armed with spurs ; and one 

 especially, the sanguine partridge (P. cruentata, Temm.), 

 has sometimes three or four spurs on each leg. The fran- 

 colins perch on trees. The partridges properly so called 

 always rest upon the ground. Their bill is not so strong, 

 and their spurs, if they have any, are very short, or simply 

 tubercular. Four or five sorts are found in Europe, al- 

 though the common gray partridge (P. cinered) is our only 

 truly indigenous kind. The red-legged partridge (P. 

 rubra), which in Italy is the most frequent, has been in- 

 troduced of late years into the south of England, where it 

 continues to breed spontaneously in a state of nature. 

 Many other species occur in foreign countries. 



The quails (genus Coturnix) are of smaller size than 

 the preceding, the tail is still shorter, the spurs are 

 wanting, and there is no coloured space above the eye. 

 The only British species is the common quail (C. Euro- 

 peus), a well-known bird of passage, generally but not 

 abundantly distributed over the island. In Scotland it is 

 even scarce, although we have found it occasionally near 

 Edinburgh, as well as in Ross-shire, and along the coasts 

 of Aberdeen and Kincardine. The whole migrate from 

 the colder and temperate parts of Europe during autumn, 

 and re-appear in spring, in certain places, in enormous 

 numbers. Along the Neapolitan coasts, for example, 

 100,000 have been taken in a single day. In some of the 

 southern countries of Europe, however, many quails remain 

 throughout the winter. In Portugal they are even more 

 numerous during that season than in summer ; and Signor 

 Savi says, in regard to those of Italy, " Sono le quaglie 

 uccelli viaggiatori, giacche la massima parte lasciano l'Eu- 

 ropa, traversano il mare, e vanno a passare il verno in 

 Affrica, ed in Asia ; ma di Toscana, come pure dalle altri 

 parti meridionali, non partono tutti, anzi una gran quantita 

 ne resta per le stoppie delle nostre Maremme, ove trovano 

 e molto nutrimento e dolce clima. Negli ultimi giorni 

 d'Aprile si rimetteno in moto ; quelle che avevan passate 

 il mare lo passan di nuovo, e quelle che eransi ritirate ne' 

 siti aprici si spargon per tutti i campi e prati." 2 A vast 

 number of quails of various kinds are found in foreign 

 countries. A beautiful small species (C. excalfactoria, 

 Temm., — P. Chinensis, Lath.) is very abundant in China, 

 where it is bred in the domestic state, and kept in cages 

 for the singular purpose of warming people's hands in win- 

 ter. It is also patronised on account of its pugnacious 

 disposition, being fought with its own kind, as common 

 cocks are in this country. 



The American quails now form the genus Ortyx, and 

 are in some measure intermediate between the true quails 

 and partridges. The bill is thick and strong, but short 



1 Wanderings, &c. vol. ii. p. 61. 



Ornilologia Toscana, torn. ii. p. 200. 



