PINNATED GROUSE. 401 



It seems to have escaped Catesby daring his residence and 

 different tours through this country, and it was not till more 

 than twenty years after his return to England, viz., in 1743, 

 that he first saw some of these birds, as he informs us, at 

 Cheswick, the seat of the Earl of Wilmington. His lordship 

 said they came from America ; but from what particular part, 

 could not tell."* Buffon has confounded it with the ruffed 

 grouse, the common partridge of New England, or pheasant of 

 Pennsylvania (Tetrao umbellus) ; Edwards and Pennant have, 

 however, discovered that it is a different species; but have 

 said little of its note, of its flesh, or peculiarities ; for, alas ! 

 there was neither voice, nor action, nor delicacy of flavour in 

 the shrunk and decayed skin from which the former took his 

 figure, and the latter his description ; and to this circumstance 

 must be attributed the barrenness and defects of both. 



That the curious may have an opportunity of examining to 

 more advantage this singular bird, a figure of the male is 

 here given, as large as life, drawn with great care from the 

 most perfect of several elegant specimens shot in the Barrens 

 of Kentucky. He is represented in the act of strutting, as it is 

 called, while with inflated throat he produces that extraordi- 

 nary sound so familiar to every one who resides in his vicinity, 

 and which has been described in the foregoing account. So 

 very novel and characteristic did the action of these birds ap- 

 pear to me at first sight, that, instead of shooting them down, 

 I sketched their attitude hastily on the spot, while concealed 

 among a brush heap, with seven or eight of them within a short 

 distance. Three of these I afterwards carried home with me. 



This rare bird, though an inhabitant of different and very 

 distant districts of North America, is extremely particular in 

 selecting his place of residence ; pitching only upon those 

 tracts whose features and productions correspond with his 

 modes of life, and avoiding immense intermediate regions 

 that he never visits. Open dry plains, thinly interspersed 

 with trees, or partially overgrown with shrub oak, are his 

 favourite haunts. Accordingly we find these birds on the 



* Catesby, Car. p. 101 App. 

 VOL. I. 2 C 



