TETRAONID^. 
167 
the elegant form and texture of their crests : three or 
four species have recently been described. Following 
these we may notice the grouse : those of the colder 
latitudes constitute the genus Tetrao, while Pterocles 
includes such as inhabit the arid sands of Africa and 
Southern Europe. The northern parts of our empire 
still furnish us with several species ; but the largest and 
most noble grouse of Europe, 
the cock of the rock (fig. 176 .), 
has long been exterminated in 
Britain. Sometimes the side 
feathers on the neck of the male 
birds are developed in a sin- 
gular manner, so as to resemble 
little wings, — a character mostly 
confined to two American spe- 
cies (Tet. umhellas and Cu- 
pido). Several new and imposing 
additions to this group were 
brought home by the arctic 
navigators under Capt. Frank- 
lin. The African and Indian grouse (Pterocles) 
have frequently .very pointed tails, and the hind toe is 
very small : heat, with them, appears to be as essentml 
as cold is to the true grouse. But there is one species 
(P. setarius Tem.) which extends its range to the 
South of France. Nearly all the grouse have the toes 
and legs more or less covered with soft feathers ; but 
this character disappears in the partridges, — an extensive 
group scattered in nearly all parts of the Old W orld, but 
unknown in the New, where they are represented by the 
genus Odontophorus Vieil. In the quails (Coturnix), 
we have the miniature resemblance of partridges, but 
the tail is 'so short as to be nearly imperceptible. 
Closely approaching to the true quails, we have the 
genus Hemipodius, istinguished by the total absence of 
the hind toe : the disposition of these little birds is so 
extremely pugnacious, that quail-fighting is as great an 
amusement to the Javanese and other Indian nations, 
M 4- 
