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FAMILY XXXII. — TETRAONINHU. GROUSE. . 
Bill sliort, stout, with the upper mandible convex, thin edged, without 
notches, its tip thin edged, obtuse, the lower mandible with the dorsal line 
slightly convex, the edges thin, the tip rounded. Head small, oblong ; neck 
of moderate length ; body very bulky. Feet short, stout ; tarsus partially 
or entirely feathered ; hind toe small, third long, lateral nearly equal, all 
scutellate, anterior webbed at the base. Claws moderate or long, arched, 
rather depressed, blunt. Plumage full and soft; feathers with the plumule 
much developed. Wings rather short, convex, rounded. Tail various, of 
more than twelve feathers. A bare coloured space on each side of the neck, 
usually concealed by the feathers ; but in some species capable of being- 
distended so as to protrude. A bare red membrane over the eye, more 
developed in the males. Tongue triangular, pointed ; oesophagus with an 
enormous crop ; stomach a very powerful gizzard, having the lateral muscles 
extremely developed, the epithelium dense, with two concave grinding 
surfaces ; the intestine long and wide ; coeca excessively elongated, cylin- 
drical, with internal longitudinal ridges. Nest on the ground, rudely 
constructed. Eggs numerous, spotted. Young covered with stiffish down. 
Genus I.— TETRAO, Linn. GROUSE. 
Bill short, robust ; upper mandible with the dorsal line decurved, the 
ridge convex, narrowed at the base, the sides convex, the edges sharp and 
overlapping, the tip thin-edged and rounded ; lower mandible with the 
angle long and wide, the dorsal line convex, the sides rounded, the edges 
inflected, the tip rounded. Nostrils roundish, in the fore part of the large 
and feathered nasal depression. Head small, ovate ; neck of ordinary 
length ; body large and full. Feet stout, of moderate length ; tarsus short, 
feathered, at the lower part sometimes bare and scutellate ; toes bare, 
scutellate, with a marginal fringe of pectinate scales. Claws rather large, 
arched, compressed, obtuse. Plumage full, soft, rather blended. Wings 
rather short, convex, much rounded, the third and fourth quills longest. 
Tail rounded, of more than twelve feathers. 
