60 GAME BIRDS OF INDIA. 



several associate in parties called coveys, or levies, and in 

 still larger bodies or Hocks in winter. The flesh of all is good 

 and high flavored, more so perhaps than that of the Pheasants, 

 but varying of course according to the group, or even the 

 species. 



The Tetraonidce may be divided into Grouse, Partridges, American 

 Partridges, Quails and Guinea-fowl, and, as in the last family, I 

 shall consider these as sub-families. Of these, the Grouse are 

 peculiar to the Northern portions of both Continents. Partridges 

 are found in Europe, Asia and Africa, disappearing in the Malayan 

 Archipelago, except to its extreme west ; the American Partridges 

 are confined to the New World ; and Quails have the same distri- 

 bution as the true Partridges, but, conversely to that group, have 

 a tendency to accumulate in the South-eastern portion of the 

 Malayan Archipelago and Australia, where, with Turnix of the 

 Tinamida, they are the only typical Gallinaceous birds. The 

 Guinea-fowl of course are confined to Africa. 



The sub-fam. Tetraonin^:, or true Grouse, are not represented 

 in India, being peculiar to the Northern portion of both Continents. 

 They are mostly birds of large or moderate size, and of strong 

 flight, with the tarsus and toes more or less feathered ; they 

 frequent heathery moors, or upland and hilly pastures. Some, 

 the Grouse, are polygamous ; others, as the Ptarmigan, so similar 

 otherwise to Grouse, are monogamous. The plumage is in 

 general dark, and of very game character, and the flesh is the 

 most highly flavoured of any of the Gallinacece. The best known 

 are the Scottish Grouse, Tetrao scoticiw ; the Black-cock, Lyvurus 

 tetrix; the noble Capercailzie, Urogullus vulgaris; and the mountain- 

 loving Ptarmigan, Lagopus mutus. Several other species of Grouse 

 occur on the Continent of Europe and Northern Asia, and one 

 species of Ptarmigan occurs in the Caucasus, but as yet no species 

 of Grouse or Ptarmigan has been observed on the Himalayas or 

 adjacent territories. The Ruffed Grouse of Europe, Bonasa 

 betulina, Scopoli, descends to a lower latitude than any of the 

 true Grouse ; and Mr. Blyth states that he has recognised a new 

 species of this group among some Chinese drawings. Many 

 Grouse are found in North America, one group, the Centrocercus 



