PINNATED GROUSE. 
321 
abilities. That peculiar tract, generally known by the 
name of the Brushy Plains of Long Island, having been, 
for time immemorial, the resort of the bird now before 
us, some account of this particular range of country 
seemed necessarily connected with the subject, and has, 
accordingly, been obligingly attended to by the learned 
professor. 
“ New York, Sept 19, 1810. 
“ Dear Sir, — It gives me much pleasure to reply 
to your letter of the 12th instant, asking of me infor- 
mation concerning the grouse of Long Island. 
“ The birds which are known there emphatically by 
the name of grouse, inhabit chiefly the forest range. 
This district of the island may he estimated as being 
between forty and fifty miles in length, extending from 
Bethphage, in Queen’s County, to the neighbourhood 
of the court-house, in Suffolk, Its breadth is not 
more than six or seven. For, although the island is 
bounded by the Sound separating it from Connecticut 
on the north, and by the Atlantic Ocean on the south, 
there is a margin of several miles, on each side, in the 
actual possession of human beings. 
cc The region in which these birds reside lies mostly 
within the towns of Oysterbay, Huntington, Islip, 
Smithtown, and Brookhaven ; though it would be 
incorrect to say, that they were not to be met with 
sometimes in Riverliead and Southampton. Their ter- 
ritory has been defined by some sportsmen, as situated 
between Hempstead Plain on the west, and Shinnecock 
Plain on the east. 
a The more popular name for them is heath-hens. 
By this they are designated in the act of our legislature 
for the preservation of them and of other game. I 
well remember the passing of this law : The bill was 
introduced by Cornelius J. Bogert, Esq. a member of 
the Assembly from the city of New York. It was in 
the month of February, 1791, the year when, as a 
representative from my native county of Queens, I sat, 
for the first time, in a legislature. 
VOL. II. x 
11 
