I NTR 0 DUCT ION.
Tub Order Rasorcs, or Scrajiers, so called from the habit ¡»ossessed
of proeiiring their food, contains the most important specie.«, for mao,sentatives in nearly every portion of tho world, and compri«cs
In Asia, probably the most typical groups and the greatest
mcmbei-s of scratching the gioimcl for the purpose
10,
of all those included in the cla.ss ,\ves. It 1ms its reproof
the most gorgcouslv-|)l«magcd biids known to Ornitliologists.
ty of forms occur. There the stately I’cacock finds its imtural
I about in flocks of hundreds of individuals : while i the mountains aud homo, and iu the forests many species ol'
Pheasants <iwc!l.
Amoug these last, distinguished for their beauty, I may here enumerate the Argus (iigaiitcus or Acgns Pheasant, remarkable
fov the extraordinary length of tho secondary feathers, covered, a.s is the rest of its plumage, with muncrous ocellatcd spot« or
eyes; the Lophophorus Impeyanus, or Mouaul, whose bright iiictalUe hues rival those of the humming-bird in tlicir ever-clmnging
beauty; the Thamualea Picta, or Golden Pheasant, with its sjilcndiil ruff of gold bordered with velvety blaek, its lieep-rcd breast,
and long, tapering tail-feathers; while many others with equal cl.aims fov iiii “ honorable mention” might be named.
The Order consists of six families: the Cracidrc, or Cnrassows, nearest allied to the Columbid.a', or Pigeons, large birds, some
species almost rivalling the Turkey in size, chiefly arboreal in their habits, and arc inhaliiuiits of South America; the Megapo-
<iid®, or MoumI Birds, a very cxtraordiuary gi-ou|), peculiar to Austrnli:i ami the iialayati Arcliipelago, noted for laying large
eggs and depositing them beneath piles of decaying vegetable matter, where they are hatched by the beat of the accumulated
mass; the Phasiauid.-e, or Phe.a.«ant«: the TctraonidiD, or Grouse aud Partridges; the TbiamidiC, or Tinaiuou.«, native.? of South
America; and the Ptevoclidie, or Sand Grouse. The Chionida', included with the above families by Gray and Hoiiaparte, .«lioulil
be omitted, as they arc pliivialiue anil not gallinaceous birds; th.e Chiouis Alb.a approaching very closely iu its osteological
Btructuro to Ha'inatopus Niger,
The Tinamous may also, ou account of their strutliious characters, with some degree of propriety bo separ:ited from tho
galliiiaceoHS birds; aud although the Sand Grouse resemble in certain particuiai-s both the Grouse anil Pigeons, yet they belong
to iipithcv of these, aud may be placed between the Grouse aud Tinamous, these last leading to the Strutluonida:.
The fumilics of this Order have been divided into many sub-families composed of muncrous genera, and tho one to which
it is necessary for us now to turn our atteiitiou is th a t of the Tctraoniiu'c, which comprise.s the binls forming this Monograph.
Mauv of the species are polygamous, the hens gciicrully very ¡irolific, gregarious in their habits, more or le.« capable of
domestication: uiul, as they never wash, arc acciistoinod to cleuu.so their feathers by rolling iu the dust.
The Grouse arc confined iu their geographical distribution to the uorthorn portions of liurojic, Asia, nud North America,
aud arc rai-cly found in the warmer parts of tho.«c countries: while the Lagopid.-c, or l»t!>rmig;in, whicli constitute nu important
part of the family, are well called “ childroii of the snow, " und inhabit the high latitudes of both ooutiiieuts, having
been discovered dwolliug on the bovdci-s of the Aretie Sen, None of tiieso have ever been found in Asin, altliough tho
lofty siiniiuits of the Himalayas would seem to be tlicir natural abode: but tlieir places arc su|iplied in those regions by
the s)ilcmiid siiccics of the gemis Tetraogallus, or Snow-Partvidgcs, which live u|mii the lofty heights of Hie momitains,
and only iu suiiimor descend to the borders of vegetation. As yet no Ptarmigan have been discovered in Africa, where,
upon the Mountains of the Moon, they might be supposed to exist, nor iu nuy portion of South America, although the