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ORD. V. GENUS II. GROUS. 



Bill, convex, ftrong, and fhort. 

 Nostrils, fmall and hidden in the feathers. 

 Tongue, pointed at the end. 



Legs, ftrong, feathered to the toes : the toes, in fome pectinated on each 

 fide, in others feathered to the nails. 



SPECIES I. GREAT GROUS. 



PL '33- 



Tetrao urogallus. Lin. Syft. I. p. 273. 

 Coq de Bruyere. Brif. Orn. I. p. 182. 



This bird is full as large as a turkey, the male being two feet nine inches 

 in length, three feet ten inches in breadth, and fometimes weighing fourteen 

 pounds. The bill is horn-coloured : eyes hazel, and furrounded with a naked 

 red fkin : the head and neck afh colour, elegantly marked with minute tranf- 

 verfe lines of black : the upper part of the body and wings chefnut brown j the 

 outer webs of the greater quill feathers black ; at the fetting on of the wings a 

 fpot of white : the breaft very glofiy blackifh green : the reft of the under parts 

 blackifh, mixed with white on the lower belly, thighs, and vent : the fides 

 marked like the neck : the tail black : the legs covered with brown feathers : 

 the edges of the toes pectinated. 



The female is much lefs than the male, being only twenty-fix inches in 

 length, and forty in breadth. It alfo differs much in colour : the throat being 

 red j the head, neck, and back, barred red and black ; the belly barred with 

 pale orange and black j the tail ruft-colour, barred with black, and tipped with 

 white. 



The great grous is found in no part of South Britain, and is now very rare 

 in Scotland, where it inhabits chiefly the pine forefts. It lays as far as fixteen 

 eggs, on a bed of leaves or mofs, on the ground. 



