104 THE PINNATED GROUSE. 



hen. During the first years of my residence at Henderson, in severe 

 winters, the number of Grouse of this species was greatly augmented b) r 

 large flocks of them that evidently came from Indiana, Illinois, and even 

 from the western side of the Mississippi. They retired at the approach of 

 spring, no doubt to escape from the persecution of man. 



This species is abundant on all the prairies of Texas, and ranges along 

 the shores of the Missouri as far as the head waters of that stream; but none 

 have been observed on the Rocky Mountains, or on the plains of the 

 Columbia river. The eggs measure two inches in length, by rather more 

 than one and a half in breadth, and are nearly equally rounded at both ends. 

 All the birds of this family that alight on trees and roost there, have the 

 toes either destitute of feathers or partially naked. On the contrary, those 

 which keep constantly on the ground, have these parts thickly feathered to 

 the claws, more especially during winter. The latter birds roost standing 

 in an almost erect posture, sometimes singly, sometimes in the manner of 

 Partridges, that is, with their tails together and their heads outward. Those 

 which roost on trees lie down on the branches, and perhaps do not need 

 feathers on their toes, as these parts receive the warmth from their body 

 while they are in this crouching posture, which they can enjoy in continu- 

 ance, being less liable to be disturbed by quadrupeds than those that repose 

 on the ground, and sleep erect, in order to be ready to fly off when surprised 

 or approached at night. 



Pinnated Grouse, Tetrao Cupido, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. iii. p. 104. 



Tetrao Cupido, Bonap. Syn., p. 126. 



Pinnated Grouse, Nutt. Man., vol. i. p. 662. 



Pinnated Grouse, Tetrao Cupido, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. ii. p. 490; vol. v. p. 559. 



Male, 18, %1\. 



Abundant from Texas throughout all the western prairies, to very high up 

 the Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois and Ohio. Almost extirpated in the Middle 

 and Eastern Districts. Resident. 



Adult Male. 



Bill short, robust; upper mandible with the dorsal outline curved, the edges 

 overlapping, the tip declinate and rounded; lower mandible convex, broad, 

 with the tip rounded. Nostrils basal, roundish, concealed by the feathers. 

 Head small, neck rather long, body bulky. Feet of ordinary length; tarsus 

 short, feathered; toes covered above with numerous short scutella, mar- 

 ginated and pectinated; hind toe extremely short, two lateral equal, middle 

 toe much longer; claws of ordinary length, strong, arched, rather obtuse, 

 concave beneath. 



