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289. 2. Ectopistes Carolinensis, Linn. Carolina Long-tailed-Dove

Plate XVII. Male and Female.

Fourteen tail-feathers. Male with the crown of the head and hind part of the neck light blue; fore neck and breast light purplish-red, sides and lower wing-coverts light blue, abdomen and lower tail-coverts pale yellow; upper parts light yellowish-brown; lower part of neck behind and along the sides changing to gold and purplish-red; some of the wing-coverts with a black spot; quills and larger coverts greyish-brown, inclining to greyish-blue at the base, and very narrowly edged with whitish; middle tail-feathers like the back, the rest blue at the base, bluish-white toward the end, with a black band intervening between the two colours. Female smaller, with the tints duller, the upper part of the head scarcely tinged with blue.

Male, 12, 17. Female, 11, 151/2.

Breeds from Texas to Massachusetts, and throughout the interior to the eastern bases of the Rocky Mountains, and again on the Columbia River. Common. Resident in all the Southern Districts.

Columba carolinensis, Linn. Syst. Nat. v. i. p. 286.

Carolina Pigeon or Turtle-Dove, Columba carolinensis, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. v. p. 91.

Columba carolinensis, Bonap. Syn. p. 119.

Carolina Pigeon or Turtle-Dove, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 626.

Carolina Turtle-Dove, Columba carolinensis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 91; v. v. p. 555.

FAMILY XXX. PAVONINÆ. PAVONINE BIRDS

Bill rather short, moderately stout, broader than high at the base, somewhat compressed toward the end; upper mandible with its extremity arched, thin-edged, and obtuse; lower narrowed and blunt. Head partially denuded, rather small, oblong; neck long; body very large. Feet stout, rather long; tarsus anteriorly scutellate; hind toe elevated, anterior toes webbed at the base. Claws rather denuded, obtuse. Plumage full, the feathers with a very large plumule and short tube; those of the hind part of the back much developed. Wings of moderate length, convex, rounded. Tail very large, of more than twelve feathers. Tongue triangular, pointed; œsophagus dilated into an enormous crop; stomach a very powerful gizzard, roundish, or transversely elliptical, with very large muscles, and dense epithelium, having two concave grinding surfaces; intestines long, and rather wide; cœca very large, oblong, internally with elevated reticulated ridges. Trachea cylindrical, without inferior laryngeal muscles. Nest on the ground, rudely constructed. Eggs numerous. Young covered with stiffish down.

GENUS I. MELEAGRIS, Linn. TURKEY

Bill rather short, moderately stout, nearly straight, broader than high at the base, somewhat compressed toward the end; upper mandible with the dorsal line sloping and straight, toward the end decurved, nasal membrane large and bare, ridge and sides rounded, edges sharp, without notch, tip thin-edged, rounded; lower mandible with the angle very long, and rather wide, the dorsal line slightly convex, the edges sharp toward the end, decurved, the tip thin-edged and obtuse. Nostrils linear, with a large horny operculum. Head bare, with a long fleshy wattle at the base of the bill; neck bare, carunculate, slightly feathered behind. Head small, oblong; neck rather long; body very full. Feet large and strong; tarsus rather long, stout, compressed, with two rows of scutella in front, and the same behind, where there is also a conical slightly recurved spur, about a third from the lower extremity; toes of moderate length, stout, scutella; first small and elevated; lateral about equal, third much longer; anterior webbed at the base. Claws of moderate length, stout, arched, somewhat compressed, obtuse. Plumage compact, glossy; feathers very broad and truncate; those of the rump elongated. Wings of moderate length, concave, much rounded, with the fourth and fifth quills longest; secondaries very long and broad. Tail rather long, very broad, much rounded, of fourteen or eighteen very broad, broadly rounded feathers. Œsophagus dilated into a very large crop; stomach transversely elliptical, extremely muscular; intestines long and wide; cœca very large, oblong.

290. 1. Meleagris Gallopavo, Linn. Common Turkey

Plate I. Male. Plate VI. Female and Young.

Tail with eighteen feathers. Male with a long tuft of bristles pendent from the lower part of the neck in front; frontal wattle blue and red, skin of the neck and head of various tints of blue and purple, caruncles bright red, changing to blue, legs purplish-red; upper parts brownish-yellow, with metallic lustre, changing to deep purple, fire-red, and bronzed green, the truncated tips of the feathers margined with velvet-black; on the hind parts, the black bands much broader; upper tail-coverts deep chestnut, glossed; wing-coverts like the back, excepting the primary coverts, which, with the quills, are dusky, transversely banded with white, the inner minutely mottled with dusky, on a light brownish-red ground; tail-feathers chestnut-red, narrowly barred and minutely dotted with black, a subternal broad band of black, the tips plain chestnut; lower parts like the upper, the tuft of bristles black. Female considerably inferior in size, with the wattles much smaller, the tuft on the breast comparatively small, and only in old birds; the colours of the plumage duller, there being little of the refulgent hues of the male; the lower parts brownish-black. Young before being fledged, are pale brownish-yellow above, pale yellowish-grey beneath, the top of the head brighter, marked in the middle with a longitudinal pale brown band; the back and wings spotted with brownish-black, excepting the smaller wing-coverts, which are uniformly dull brown.

Male, 49, 68. Female, 37, 54.

Breeds from Texas to Massachusetts and Vermont. In the interior to the Missouri, and thence northward to Michigan. Common. Resident, though removing to considerable distances in autumn, in quest of food.

Meleagris Gallopavo, Bonap. Syn. p. 122.

Wild Turkey, Meleagris Gallopavo, Bonap. Amer. Orn. v. i. p. 79.

Wild Turkey, Meleagris Gallopavo, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 630.

Wild Turkey, Meleagris Gallopavo, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 1, 33; v. v. p. 559.

FAMILY XXXI. PERDICINÆ. PARTRIDGES

Bill very short, stout, broader than high at the base, with the upper mandible convex, thin-edged, obtuse, the lower with the dorsal line convex, the tip rounded. Head small, oblong; neck of moderate length, or rather short; body very bulky. Feet rather of moderate length, stout; tarsus bare, anteriorly scutellate; hind toe rather small, third long, lateral nearly equal, all scutellate, anterior webbed at the base. Claws moderate, arched, compressed, obtuse. Plumage full and strong; feathers with the plumule much developed. Wings rather short, convex, rounded. Tail generally short and rounded, of more than twelve feathers. Tongue triangular, pointed; œsophagus with a very large crop; stomach a very strong muscular gizzard, with the lateral muscles highly developed, the epithelium dense, with two concave grinding surfaces; intestine long, and of moderate width; cœca very large, oblong, internally with reticulate ridges. Trachea without inferior laryngeal muscles. Nest on the ground, rudely constructed. Eggs numerous. Young covered with stiffish down.

GENUS I. ORTYX, Steph. AMERICAN PARTRIDGE

Bill very short, robust, rather obtuse; upper mandible with the outline decurved from the base, the ridge narrow at the base, on account of the breadth of the nasal membrane, somewhat distinct in its whole length, with the sides convex, the gape-line arched, the edges thin, without notch, the tip decurved, thin-edged, obtuse; lower mandible with the angle short and rounded, the dorsal line slightly convex, the sides rounded, the edges involute, the tip rounded. Nostrils basal, linear, operculate, nearly concealed. Head of ordinary size, ovato-oblong; neck rather short; body full. Feet of moderate length; tarsus shorter than the middle toe, with two anterior series of large scales; first toe small and elevated; third very long, second shorter than third, scutellate, connected at the base by webs of a considerable extent. Claws rather stout, arched, compressed, rather acute. Plumage dense, rather compact; wings short, concave, rounded. Tail short, rounded, of twelve feathers. A bare space behind the eyes. Tongue triangular, fleshy; œsophagus with an ovate oblique crop on the fore part of the neck; stomach a very large and strong gizzard, broader than long, placed obliquely, with concave grinding surfaces; intestine long and wide; cœca large.

291. 1. Ortyx Virginiana, Linn. Common American Partridge

Plate LXXVI. Male, Female, and Young.

Male with a short broad crest; the forehead, a broad band over the eye, and the throat, white; loral space, a band below the eye, and a broad semilunar band on the fore neck, black; upper part of the head, hind and lower part of the neck all round, brownish-red; upper parts variegated with chestnut-red, black, grey, and yellowish; lower yellowish-white, undulatingly barred with black, the sides streaked with red. Female similar, but without a black band on the fore neck, its place being merely spotted, and with the throat and a band over the eye brownish-yellow. Young with the feathers having a central yellowish line, the lower parts dull yellowish-brown, without black bands.

Male, 10, 15. Female, 91/2, 14.

Breeds abundantly from Texas to Massachusetts; in the interior, high on the Missouri, and in all intermediate districts.

Quail or Partridge, Perdix virginiana, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vi. p. 21.

Perdix virginiana, Bonap. Syn. p. 124.

American Partridge or Quail, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 647.

Virginian Partridge, Perdix virginiana, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 388; v. v. p. 564.

292. 2. Ortyx Californica, Lath. Californian Partridge

Plate CCCCXIII. Fig. 10. Male and Female.

On the top of the head an elegant crest of six elongated, recurved, clavate feathers, of which the webs are deflected. Male with the forehead dull yellow, the crest black; upper part of head dark brown, margined with a band of white; throat deep black, margined with a semilunar band of white, curving up to the eyes; hind part and sides of neck light ash-grey, beautifully marked with black, each feather having a marginal band and central line of that colour; lower half of neck anteriorly, and a part of the breast, greyish-blue, the rest of the breast light yellowish, its central part chestnut, with semilunar black bands; sides olive-brown, each feather with a central white streak; the rest of the lower parts light yellowish-brown, faintly barred with dusky, the lower tail-coverts with a central dark brown streak; back and wings greyish-brown, tinged with olive, outer secondaries margined externally, inner internally, with light red; tail bluish-grey, edged with olivaceous. Female with the tuft shorter, the colours duller; the upper part of the head dull brown, throat and cheeks brownish-white, streaked with dusky; hind part and sides of neck greyish-brown, each feather with a medial and marginal band of black, as in the male, but fainter; lower part of neck and part of breast brownish-grey; the rest of the upper and lower parts as in the male.

Male, 91/4, wing 47/12. Female, 9, wing 47/12.

Upper California. Abundant. Resident.

Californian Partridge, Perdix californica, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 152.

293. 3. Ortyx plumifera, Gould. Plumed Partridge

Plate CCCCXXII. Fig. 1. Male. Fig. 2. Female.

On the top of the head two linear-lanceolate decurved feathers, having their webs deflected; upper part of head, hind neck, fore part of back, lower part of fore neck, and a part of the breast, greyish-blue; feathers along the base of the bill, and a band from the eye down the side of the neck, white; elongated feathers on the head black; throat deep chestnut, margined on each side with a black line; back and rump reddish-brown; quills and tail-feathers wood-brown, margined with reddish-brown; inner secondaries broadly margined internally with white; middle of breast chestnut, as are the upper hypochondrial feathers, which are margined on their inner web toward the end with a narrow black and a broad white band, the intervening space on the sides broadly banded with white, black, and chestnut. Female somewhat less, similar to the male, but less brightly coloured.

Male, 11, wing 53/4. Female, 10, wing 51/2.

Columbia River, and Upper California. Rather rare. Migratory.

Plumed Partridge, Perdix plumifera, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 226.

294. 4. Ortyx neoxenus, Vigors. Welcome Partridge

Plate CCCCXXIII. Fig. 3. Young.

Crest short, straight, directed backwards, of about half a dozen elongated feathers; upper parts olive-brown, a rufous streak behind the eye; wing-coverts dark brown, with light margins; quills dusky brown, some of them slightly marked on the edges with paler spots; tail dusky, with about eight waved irregular lines of pale brown; lower parts dark brown, copiously marked with roundish white spots.

Length 71/2, wing 43/8.

California.

Welcome Quail, Ortyx neoxenus, Vig. Gard. and Menag. of Zool. Soc. v. ii. p. 311.

Welcome Partridge, Perdix neoxenus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 228.

FAMILY XXXII. TETRAONINÆ. GROUSE

Bill short, 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; œsophagus 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; cœca excessively elongated, cylindrical, 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.

* Tarsus partially bare.

295. 1. Tetrao Umbellus, Linn. Ruffed Grouse. – Partridge Pheasant

Plate XLI. Male and Female.

Male with the feathers of the head narrow and elongated into a decurved tuft; an erectile ruff of broad, abrupt, glossy feathers, in two tufts; tail of eighteen feathers, rounded. Upper part of head and hind part of neck bright yellowish-red, variegated with dusky; back chestnut, marked with oblong white spots, margined with black; quills brown, their outer webs pale yellowish-red, spotted with dusky; upper tail-coverts banded or spotted with black; tail reddish-yellow, narrowly barred and minutely mottled with black, and terminated by a broad band of the latter, between two narrow bands of greyish-white; a yellowish-white band from the bill to the eye, beyond which it is prolonged; throat and fore neck light brownish-yellow; lower ruff-feathers of the same colour, barred with reddish-brown, upper black, glossed with blue; lower parts yellowish-white, with broad transverse spots of dusky or brown. Female with the crest and ruff less developed, the latter of a duller black; the tints of the plumage duller than in the male. In the northern parts the plumage is generally less red, but otherwise similar.

Male, 18, 24.

Common from Maryland to Labrador, and in the interior, from the mountainous districts to Canada and the Saskatchewan. Columbia River. Resident.

Ruffed Grouse, Tetrao umbellus, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vi. p. 46.

Tetrao umbellus, Bonap. Syn. p. 126.

Tetrao umbellus, Ruffed Grouse, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 342.

Ruffed Grouse, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 657.

Ruffed Grouse, Tetrao Umbellus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 211; v. v. p. 560.

** Tarsus feathered to the toes. Tail rather long, broad, rounded.

296. 2. Tetrao Canadensis, Linn. Canada Grouse. – Spotted Grouse

Plate CLXXVI. Male and Female.

Tail of sixteen feathers, rounded. Male with the upper parts transversely banded with brownish-black and light grey; wings variegated with dusky and greyish-yellow; quills brown, the outer webs of the primaries mottled with yellowish; tail blackish-brown, tipped with a band of reddish-yellow; lower parts black; the feathers on the throat with a white spot near the end; a band of white spots behind the eye; on the breast, the feathers with a broad subterminal spot; and the lower tail-coverts largely tipped with white. Female with the upper parts as in the male, but more broadly barred; head, sides of neck, fore neck, and anterior part of breast, yellowish-red, barred with brownish-black; lower parts greyish-black, barred with reddish-white; tail minutely mottled, and tipped with reddish-brown.

Male, 153/4, 213/4. Female, 151/2, 21.

Plentiful from the northern parts of New York to Labrador, as well as from Canada to the Arctic Sea. Columbia River. Partially migratory in winter.

Spotted Grouse, Tetrao canadensis, Bonap. Amer. Orn. v. iii. pl. 20.

Tetrao canadensis, Bonap. Syn. p. 127.

Tetrao canadensis, Spotted Grouse, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 346.

Tetrao Franklinii, Franklin's Grouse, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 348.

Spotted Grouse, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 667.

Spotted or Canada Grouse, Tetrao canadensis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. ii. p. 437; v. v. p. 563.

297. 3. Tetrao obscurus, Say. Dusky Grouse

Plate CCCLXI. Male and Female.

A slender crest of narrow feathers; tail of twenty feathers; rounded. Male with the upper parts blackish-brown, the wings lighter; elongated feathers on the head greyish-brown; hind neck minutely undulated with bluish-grey; scapulars, inner secondaries, and smaller wing-coverts also minutely undulated with grey and brownish-red; rump and upper tail-coverts and quills clove-brown, secondaries bordered and tipped with yellowish-grey, primaries mottled with grey on their outer webs, tail black; sides of head, fore part and sides of neck, and fore part of breast, greyish-black; loral space and throat barred with white; lower parts generally blackish-grey, the feathers of the sides with a median streak and terminal patch of white, and more or less barred with dusky, as are the lower tail-coverts; axillary feathers and inner wing-coverts white; tarsal feathers brownish-grey. Female considerably smaller, with the upper parts greyish-brown, barred with dusky, and minutely undulated; the fore neck banded with brown and pale sienna, the rest of the lower parts as in the male, but paler.

Male, 22, wing 91/2. Female, 191/2, wing 9.

From the eastern spurs of the Rocky Mountains, to the Columbia River, and northward to Hudson's Bay. Abundant. Resident.

Tetrao obscurus, Say, Long's Exped.

Tetrao obscurus, Bonap. Syn. p. 127.

Dusky Grouse, Tetrao obscurus, Bonap. Amer. Orn. v. iii. pl. 18.

Tetrao obscurus, Dusky Grouse, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 344.

Dusky Grouse, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 666.

Dusky Grouse, Tetrao obscurus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 446.

*** Tail very short, transversely arched, much rounded.