130 
GROUSE. 
By the word Grouse, we, in general language, are 
most apt to associate our ideas with the common 
Muirfowl. But in the technical terms of Ornitho- 
logy, the generic name Grouse and Tetrao is re- 
stricted to those bearing the form of the European 
wood-grouse, Dusky grouse of America, 8tc. They 
are the largest birds of the family, of a very round 
and powerful form, and frequent heathy forests in 
preference to the wild and open muir, perch and of- 
ten roost on trees, where young shoots and tender 
hark also supply them with food ; and although the 
legs are plumed with short feathers, the toes are 
naked. The tail is composed of broad feathers and 
is proportionally long and rounded. They are most- 
ly polygamous, and the females and young differ 
considerably from the males, the plumage of the for- 
mer being shades of brown and tawny, with black 
bars and markings, the colours of the latter distri- 
buted in broad masses of black, glossy green or steel- 
blue, and deep brown. They inhabit North Ame- 
rica and Europe, those of the latter country extend- 
ing into Northeni Asia. 
