Pterodetes 169 



the food of various seeds and insects. The three eggs, 

 deposited without any nest, are yellowish buff with 

 ptirpUsh brown spots and blotches. The male is a 

 black and buff bird, with grey head, wing-quills, and 

 tail, the central feathers of the last being greatly pro- 

 longed ; the throat is rust-coloured, while the breast 

 and belly are transversely marked with black. The 

 female has the head like the back and a black stripe 

 across the throat. 



ORDER XI. GALLIN.^ 



We have now arrived at the very large group which 

 contains the Grouse, Pheasant and Partridge alliance, 

 besides our domestic fowls and many splendid foreign 

 birds, of which the Peacock is best known to the 

 multitude. The head is comparatively small, with a 

 short stout curved bill; the feet are powerful and vary 

 in length, but in British forms the hind-toe is always 

 elevated ; the front toes are feathered in the Ptarmigan 

 and Red Grouse, as is the whole foot in Grouse generally. 

 Spurs, from one to three pairs, are not uncommon ; 

 combs, wattles and bare skin on the cheeks or round 

 or above the eye are prominent features of many species. 

 In Grouse the bare red skin round the eye is pimply. 

 The wings are generally rounded ; the tail varies greatly, 

 as may be seen in the case of Pheasants, Partridges 

 and Fowls, while it is called vaulted in the last-named. 

 AU the members of the Order possess a crop, and the 

 downy young run at once and soon learn to fly. 



Family TETRAONID-^, or Grouse 



The Sand-grouse is, as we have seen, a Grouse only 

 in name, but we have four representatives of the 



