GROUSE. 131 



* Quail " in the northeast and " Quail " and " Partridge " indis- 

 criminately in other portions of the country ; and yet each are 

 entirely different from the pheasant, partridge and quail of Europe. 

 To be understood, we are obliged to describe each with an alias, 

 and after all be incorrect, and sure to mislead a foreigner. It is 

 probably too late to remedy this confusion. 



The Rocky Mountain form of the Ruffed Grouse has been dis- 

 tinguished from the Eastern bird, under the varietal name umbel- 

 hides ; it is somewhat greyer than the common form, but is other- 

 wise similar. The bird of the_ Pacific Coast is redder again, and is 

 called variety sabinei. The different forms/ however, grade into 

 one another, and the differences are often extremely slight. 



Lagopus albus. — Audubon, Ptarmigan, Willow Grouse, Partridge of 

 Newfoundland. 



The various species of Ptarmigan are all alpine birds, and are 

 only found in the North, and on the highest mountain ranges. 

 They are to be distinguished from all our other members of the 

 Grouse family, by the dense feathering of the tarsus and toes, by 

 turning white in winter, and by the possession of only fourteen 

 rectrices or tail feathers. The bill of this species is very stout ; 

 the tail is always black. In summer, the foreparts are rich chestnut 

 or orange brown, variegated with blackish, the upper parts and sides 

 are barred with black, tawny and white, other parts are mostly white. 

 Its length is about sixteen inches. This species is confined almost 

 entirely to the British Possessions, although a few are found in 

 winter in the northernmost counties of Maine, New Hampshire, 

 Vermont and New York. The Ptarmigan is quite equal as a game 

 bird to the Scotch Grouse, and indeed resembles it so closely, 

 tliat it is difficult to make out any specific difference between the 

 red grouse, gorcock, or moorcock of Scotland, and the ptarmigan 

 of this country. They are a most delicious article of food, whether 

 roasted, stewed, or in white soups. All visitors to Newfoundland 

 admit that the flavor of a plump partridge, well cooked, is unsur- 

 passed in richness and delicacy. They are of respectable propor- 

 tions, a brace of them in season weighing from three pounds tc 

 three pounds and a half. When the sporting season opens on the 

 first of September, they are in prime co.idition, after feeding or 



