178 GROUSE, BOB-WHITES, ETC. 



ORDER GALLINiE. GALLINACEOTTS BIRDS. 



Family Teteaonidje. Grouse, Bob-whites, etc. ^ 



Of the two hundred species contained in this family, one hundred 

 belong in the subfamily Perdicinm or Old-World Partridges and 

 Quails, sixty in the subfamily Odontophorinm or New-World Par- 

 tridges and Bob-whites, and twenty-five in the subfamily TetraonincB 

 or Grouse, inhabiting the northern parts of the northern hemisphere. 

 Generally speaking, these birds are non-migratory, though there are 

 some striking exceptions among the Perdieinm. After the nesting 

 season they commonly gather in " coveys " or bevies, usually composed 

 of the members of but one family. In some species these bevies unite 

 or " pack," forming large flocks. As a rule, they are terrestrial, but 

 may take to trees when flushed, while some species habitually call and 

 feed in trees. They are game birds par excellence, and, trusting to 

 the concealment afforded by their dull colors, attempt to avoid detec- 

 tion by hiding rather than by flying, or, in sportsman's phraseology, 

 " lie well to a dog." Their flight is rapid and accompanied by a start- 

 ling whirr, caused by the quick strokes of their small, concave, stiff- 

 feathered wings. 



KET TO THE SPECIES. 



A. Tarsi bare 289. Bob-white. 28na. Florida Bob-white. 



B. Upper third or half of tai-si feathered. 



300. Kdffed Geouse. 300a. Canada Eutfed Gkouse. 



C. Tarsi entirely feathered, toes bare. 



u. With bunches of elongated, stiffened feathers springing from either side 

 of the neck . . .... 305. Pbaieie Hen. 306. Heath Hek. 



i. Feathers of neck normal. 

 S'. Outer web of primaries spotted with white. 



308&. Prairie Sharp-tailed Grouse. 

 J». Primaries not spotted with white . . 298. Canada Grouse. 



D. Tarsi and toes entirely feathered ... . 301. Ptarmigaij and races. 



S89< Colinus virginianus (Zi;t7t.). Bob-white; Quail; Partridge. 

 Ad. S in winter.— \Sp-per parts varying from reddish brown to chestnut; in- 

 terscapulars with broken and sometimes complete black bars; inner vane 

 of tertials widely margined with cream-buff; rump grayish brown, finely 

 mottled, and with a few streaks of blackish ; tail ashy gray, the inner feath- 

 ers finely mottled with buffy ; front of the crown, a band from the bill to be- 

 neath the eye, and a hand on the upper breast black ; throat and a broad line 

 fi-om the bill over the eye white ; sides rufous-chestnut, margined with black 

 and white; lower breast and belly white barred with black. Ad, 9 in win- 

 ter,— SiraUar, but the throat and line over the eye, forehead, and lores pale 

 oohraoeous-butf ; little or no black on the upper breast Summer examples 



