WILLOW GROUSE. H7 



compared with what it is in summer, when I found it tender, and having an 

 agreeable aromatic flavour. 



The Willow Grouse breeds in Labrador about the beginning of June. 

 The female conceals her nest under the creeping branches of the low firs. 

 It consists of bits of dry twigs and mosses drawn into a form. The eggs are 

 from five to fourteen, according to the age of the bird, and are marbled with 

 irregular spots of reddish-brown, on a dull fawn-colour or rufous ground. 

 They raise only one brood in the season. 



The pair represented in the plate, with their young, were procured by my 

 friend George Shattuck, Esq. of Boston, one of my party, who .shot the 

 first pair found by us in Labrador. They were in their full summer 

 plumage. I think these birds, as well as the Canada Grouse, have what I 

 call a continued moult, young feathers being found upon them at all seasons. 



Tetrao (Lagopds) saliceti, Willow Grouse, Swains, and Rich. F. Bor. Amer., vol. 



ii. p. 351. 

 Willow Grodse, or Large Ptarmigan, Nutt. Man., vol. i. p. 674. 

 Willow Grouse, Tetrao saliceti, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. ii. p. 528. 



Male, 17, 26£. Female, 16, 26, 



In Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, during winter. Breeds 

 plentifully in Newfoundland, Labrador, and the Fur Countries. Rocky 

 Mountains. 



Adult Male, in summer. 



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

 edges overlapping, the tip declinate and rounded, the basal part with a deep 

 sinus on each side; 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 feathered, as are the 

 toes, excepting towards the end, where they are covered with small scales 

 and three terminal scutella; hind toe extremely short, two lateral equal; 

 claws slightly arched, depressed, broad, with thin edges, and rounded. 



Plumage compact, the feathers generally rounded, those of the head and 

 upper neck narrow and proportionally short. The legs and toes covered 

 with hair-like feathers. Wings short, the primaries strong, narrow, taper- 

 ing, curved; third longest, second and fourth little shorter. Tail .short, even, 

 or very slightly rounded, of fourteen broad feathers, and four narrower 

 central ones, which are superior. 



Bill black. Iris brown. Toes and claws dark brown, the edges of the 

 latter yellowish-grey. Head and neck bright chestnut, the feathers on the 

 back part of the latter and crown of the head barred with black, and tipped 



Vol. V. 16 



