PINNATED GROUSE. 
329 
For me it remains to i-epeat my joy at the oppoi-tumty 
your invitation has afforded me to contrihute somewhat 
to your elegant work, and at the same time to assure 
you of my earnest hope that you may be favoured with 
ample means to complete it. 
“ Samuel L. Mitchell.” 
Duly sensible of the honour of the foregoing com- 
munication, and grateful for the good wishes with 
Which it is concluded, 1 shall now, in farther elucidation 
of the subject, subjoin a few particulare properly 
belonging to my own department. 
It is somewhat extraordinary that the European 
aatnr.alists, in their various accounts of our different 
species of grouse, should have said little or nothing of the 
One now before us, which, in its voice, manners, and 
peculiarity of plumage, is the most singular, and, in its 
flesh, the most excellent, of all those of its tribe that 
inhaiiit the territory of the United States. It seems to 
have escaped Catesby during 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 dies wick, the seat of the Earl of Wil- 
, mington. His lordship said they came from America; 
hut from what particular part,, could not tell.* Biiffoii 
has confounded it with the ruffed grouse, the common 
partride'e of New England, or pheasant of Pennsylvania 
{tetrao unihellus) 5 Edwards and Peiinaiit have, how- 
nver, discovered that it is a different s|)ccies ; but have 
«aid little of its note, of its flesh, or peculiarities; for, 
«*as I there was neither voice, nor action, nor delicsicy 
flavour in the shrunk and dcc.ayed skin from which 
fhe former took his figure, and the latter his descrip- 
tion ; and to this circumstance must be attributed the 
barrenness and defects of both. 
This rare bird, though an inhabitant of different and 
^Ofy distant districts of North America, is extremely 
* Catesbv, Car. p. 101, App. 
