476 
DUSKY GROUSE. 
as they might be termed, of sand, so terrific to the eye and the 
imagination of the human traveller, they boldly venture to 
cross in large companies in search of the fluid so indispensable 
to life, but there so scarce, and only found in certain spots. 
Over the intervening spaces they pass with extraordinary ra- 
pidity, and at a great elevation, being the only gallinaceous 
birds furnished with wings of the form required for such flights. 
This, however, is not the only peculiarity in which they aber- 
rate from the rest of their order, and approach the pigeons, 
being said to lay but few eggs, the young remaining in the 
nest until they are full fledged, and fed in the meantime by 
the parents. 
The grouse dwell in forests, especially such as are deep, 
and situated in mountainous districts ; the Bonasice^ however, 
and the Tetrao cupido^ frequenting plains where grow trees of 
various kinds. The Lagopodes of the Arctic regions, or ptar- 
migans, are also found on the very elevated mountains of cen- 
tral Europe, where the temperature corresponds to that of 
more northern latitudes. Here they keep among the tufts of 
dwarf willows, which, with pines, form the principal vegeta- 
tion of these climates. The grouse feed almost exclusively 
on leaves, buds, berries, and especially the young shoots of 
trees, pines, spruce, or birch, resorting to seeds only when 
compelled by scarcity of other food, or when their usual means 
of subsistence are buried beneath the snow. They sometimes, 
especially when young, pick up a few insects and worms, and 
are fond of ants’ eggs. Like other gallinaceous birds, they 
are constantly employed in scratching the earth, are fond 
of covering themselves with dust, and swallow small pebbles 
and gravel to assist digestion. No birds are more decidedly 
and tyrannically polygamous. As soon as the females are fe- 
cundated, the male deserts them, caring no farther about them 
nor their progeny, to lead a solitary life. Like perfidious 
seducers, they are full of attention, however, and display the 
greatest anxiety to secure the possession of those they are af- 
terwards so ready to abandon. The nuptial season commences 
when the leaves first appear in spring. The males then appear 
