SUBFAMILY TETRAONIN^, GROUSE. 393 



of tbe great district under consideration. This is the familiar Eastern 

 Partridge, " Quail," or " Bob White," as it is variously termed. None of 

 the several elegant and interesting Partridges of the southwest have 

 been traced even to the southern borders of the Missouri region. ^Ye 

 may allude to them in this connection. First, we have two species of 

 the genus Lophortyx, L. calif amicus, and L. gamheli, of California, Ari- 

 zona, New Mexico, and portions of Texas, with an elegant helmet-like 

 crest of recurved feathers. Secondly, the Mountain Partridge of Cali- 

 fornia { Oreortyx piotiis), with a long, slender, flowing crest. Thirdly, the 

 Scaled or Blue Partridge {Callipepla squamata), so called from a curious 

 appearance of the plumage ; and fourthly, the Massena Partridge ( CUjrto- 

 nyx massena), remarkable for the difference between its sexes in colora- 

 tion, and the singular harlequin markings of the male. These are fully 

 noticed beyond. 



The family Tetraonidai, as defined in the Key, p. 232, embraces two 

 American subfamilies — the Tetraoninw or true Groase, and the Odonto- 

 phorinm, which include all the American Partridges. 



Suhfamily Tetraonin^ : Grouse. 



The Grouse will be immediately distinguished from the Partridges by 

 the more or less complete feathering of the legs and nostrils, which, in 

 the Partridges, are naked and scaly ; by a more or less evident strip of 

 naked, pimply skin over the eye ; by a row of fringe-like scales on the 

 side of the toes ; and usually, by the presence on each side of the neck 

 of a tuft of lengthened or otherwise modified feathers, or a patch of 

 naked distensible skin, or both of these. I call attention, below, to the 

 fact that the Sharp-tailed Grouse {Pedioecetes pliasianellus) has fairly 

 developed air-sacs on the neck, though this has usually been overlooked. 



The true Grouse, or Tetraoninw, are confined to the i^orthern Hemis- 

 phere, and reach their highest development as a group, in number and 

 variety of forms, in North America, our species being singularly diverse 

 ii the details of structure. All the American forms are noticed in these 

 pages, beyond. The Old World forms are the following : The Great 

 Capercailzie, or Cock-of-the- Woods (Tetrao urogallus), which finds its 

 analogue in our Sage Cock (Centrocercus urophasianus), though structur- 

 ally nearer our species of Tetrao; the Black Cock of Europe (Te<rao 

 tetrix), with curiously curled tail-feathers, which may be considered to 

 represent our Dusky Grouse [Tetrao ohscunis); the Siberian Tetrao f aid- 

 pennis, strict analogue of our Spruce Grouse ( T. canadensis) ; the Bonasa 

 beiuUna of Europe and Asia, equally near our Euffed Grouse ; and two 

 or three species of Ptarmigan (Lagopus), very closely allied to, or identi- 

 cal with, our own. 



Any adult Grouse of our country may be readily referred to its proper 

 genus by the following table of characters : 



Centrocercus. Tail equaling or exceeding tbe wing in length, wedge-shaped, of 

 twenty stiff, narrowly acuminate feathers; neck with numerous bristly lilaments, a 

 patch of curious scaly feathers, and a large naked space. Tarsi fully feathered ; toes 

 naked. Size of full grown cocks, two feet or more in length ; tail a foot long. 



Pedioecetes. Tail shorter than the wing, wedge-shaped, of eighteen narrowed, 

 stiffish feathers, of which tbe central pair exceed the rest by an inch or more. No 

 evidently peculiar feathers on side of neck ; bare space not conspicuous. Tarsi feath- 

 ered to between the roots of the toes.* Markings of under parts lengthwise. 



Cdpidonia. Tail much shorter than the wing, rounded, of eighteen broad, flat feath- 

 ers. Sides of neck with tufts of a few lengtheued, narrowed feathers, like little wings, 

 beneath which is a conspicuous distensible naked skin. Tarsi barely or not feathered 

 to the toes. Markings of under parts crosswise. 



* In the arctic variety the feathers of the legs are sometimes so long and thick as to 

 hide the toes, almost as iu the genus Laf/opus. 



