CHAPTER XXIII 



THE ORDER OF UPLAND GAME-BIRDS 



OALLINAE 



It is natural that a country possessing the at all. If any species becomes so rare that it is 

 wide diversity of uplands that exists in the threatened with extinction, stop killing it, and 

 United States should possess a great variety of take measures for its complete protection until 

 ground-dwelling birds. In response to the in- it has had time to recover. Above all, never 

 viting fields and forests, plains and mountains, — engage in a "side-hunt," which is a wholesale 

 cold and warm, wet and dry, — the birds of the slaughter of wild creatures " for points," and 

 Order Gallinae have greatly multiplied, both in never tolerate one in your neighborhood. Side- 

 number and in species. hunting should be prevented, at the muzzle of 



It is no wonder that men and boys like to breech-loaders, if necessary, 

 hunt upland game-birds; and when the con- Some of the most interesting hunting expe- 

 ditions are properly observed, it is right that they riences ever recorded have been in hunting game- 

 should do so. The natural death of a game- birds with the camera. If space were available, 

 bird or quadruped is by shot or bullet, from the it would be a pleasure to record here the names 

 gun of a true hunter, who hunts only at the prop- of some of those who have made beautiful pict- 

 er time, in a fair manner, and kills sparingly, ures of ruffed grouse, pinnated grouse, wood- 

 Wherever game-birds are most plentiful, each cock, ptarmigan and many other species. A 

 hunter is in honor bound to kill only a small fine bird photograph is a joy forever, but a bag- 

 number, and give others a chance. ful of dead birds disappears in an hour. 



If you arc a boy, or man, don't be a "game- The table below affords a bird's-eye view of this 



hog!" Shoot like a gentleman, or don't shoot Order as it exists north of Mexico: 



FAMILIES. GnOUPS. EXAMPLES. 



Virginia "Quail," or Bob- White. 

 California Mountain " Quail." 

 ■ Quail 1 and Partridges: . . ( California Valley " Quail." 



Mearns' Partridge. 

 (jj ^ I V Scaled Partridge. 



2 • ^ / L Ruffed Grouse. 



-;.§ I Grouse Family: . . .\^ ) Canada Grouse. 



:ig/ TET-UA-ON'i.DAE. jCfouse: / Pinnated Grouse. 



d S \ f / Sharp-Tailed Grouse. 



2 w, \ r \ Sage-Grouse. 



Oit.M ^Ptarmigan: Willow Ptarmigan. 



Q^t -o T? L Turkeys: Wild-Turkey. 



2 I Pheasant Family: * •' 



O I PHAS-i-AN'i~DAE. ( ( Ring-Necked Pheas- 



Ptieasants: ) ant. f Intro- 



All of the Old World only. \ Golden Pheasant. f duced. 



' Silver Pheasant. ) 



' By technical writers the name " quail " is now case. The good old name " quail " is so universally 

 considered as applying only to the members of a known that no power on earth could supplant it, 

 group of Old- World birds, much smaller than our and in a work of this kind it would be folly to ignore 

 quails; and our quails are called " partridges," be- it in favor of " partridge," even though the latter be 

 cause they are related to the Old-World birds of more correct, 

 that name. But this is only another " buffalo " 



341 



