218 RUFFED GROUSE.
Hawk. The former watches their motions from the tops of trees, and
falls upon them with the swiftness of thought, whilst the latter seizes u p
on them as he glides rapidly through the woods. Pole-cats, weasels,
raccoons, oppossums, and foxes, are all destructive foes to them. Of
these, some are content with sucking their eggs, while others feed on
their flesh.
I have found these birds most numerous in the States of Pennsylvania
and New York. They are brought to the markets in great numbers,
during the winter months, and sell at from 75 cents to a dollar a-piece,
in the eastern cities. At Pittsburg I have bought them, some years ago,
for 12£ cents the pair. It is said that when they have fed for several
Weeks on the leaves of the Kalmia latifulia, it is dangerous to eat their
flesh, and I believe laws have been passed to prevent their being sold at
that season. I have, however, eaten them at all seasons, and although I
have found their crops distended with the leaves of the Kalmia, have
never felt the least inconvenience after eating them, nor even perceived
any difference of taste in their flesh. I suspect it is only when the birds
have been kept a long time undrawn and unplucked, that the flesh becomes
impregnated with the juice of these leaves.
The food of this species consists of seeds and berries of all kinds, according
to the season. It also feeds on the leaves of several species of
evergreens, although these are only resorted to when other food has become
scarce. They are particularly fond of fox-grapes and winter-grapes,
as well as strawberries and dewberries. To procure the latter, they issue
from the groves of the Kentucky Barrens, and often stray to the distance
of a mile. They roost on trees, amongst the thickest parts of the foliage,
sitting at some distance from each other, and may easily be smoked
to death, by using the necessary precautions.
I cannot conclude this article, kind reader, without observing how desirable
the acquisition of this species might be to the sportsmen of Europe,
and especially to those of England, where I am surprised it has not yet
been introduced. The size of these birds, the beauty of their plumage,
the excellence of their flesh, and their peculiar mode of flying, would render
them valuable, and add greatly to the interest of the already diversified
sports of that country. In England and Scotland there are thousands
of situations that are by nature perfectly suited to their habits,
and I have not a doubt that a few years of attention would be sufficient
to render them quite as common as the Grey Partridge.
TETJIAO UMBELLUS, Linn. Syst.Nat. vol. i. p. 275.—Lath. Ind. Orn. vol. ii. p. 038—
Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 120'.
RUFFED GROUSE, TETRAO UMBELLUS, Wits. Amer. Ornith. vol. vi. p. 45. PI. 49.
Male—Lath. Synops. vol. iv. p. 738.
SHOULDER-KNOT GROUSE.—Lath. Synops. vol. iv. p. 737«
Adult Male. Plate XLI. Fig. 1, 2.
Bill short, robust, slightly arched, rather obtuse, the base covered by
feathers; upper mandible with the dorsal outline straight in the feathered
part, convex towards the end, the edges overlapping, the tip declinate ;
under mandible somewhat bulging toward the tip, the sides convex.
Nostrils concealed among the feathers. Head and neck small. Body
bulky. Feet of ordinary length ; tarsus feathered, excepting at the lower
part anteriorly, where it is scutellate, spurless ; toes scutellate above, pectinated
on the sides ; claws arched, depressed, obtuse.
Plumage compact, glossy. Feathers of the head narrow and elongated
into a curved tuft. A large space on the neck destitute of feathers,
but covered over by an erectile ruff of elongated feathers, of which the
upper are silky, shining, and curved forwards at the end, which is very
broad and rounded. Wings short, broad, much rounded and curved, the
third and fourth quills longest. Tail long, ample, rounded, of eighteen
feathers.
Bill horn-colour, brownish-black towards the tip. Iris hazel. Feet
yellowish-grey. Upper part of the head and hind part of the neck bright
yellowish-red. Back rich chestnut, marked with oblong white spots, margined
with black. Upper wing-coverts similar to the back. Quills
brownish-dusky, their outer webs pale reddish, spotted with dusky. Upper
tail-coverts banded with black. Tail reddish-yellow, barred and minutely
mottled with black, and terminated by abroad band of the latter colour,
between two narrow bands of bluish-white, of which one is terminal. A
yellowish-white band from the upper mandible to the eye, beyond which
it is prolonged. Throat and lower part of the neck light brownish-yellow.
Lower ruff feathers of the same colour, barred with reddish-brown,
the upper black with blue reflections. A tuft of light chestnut feathers
under the wings. The rest of the under parts yellowish-white, with broad
transverse spots of brownish-red; the abdomen yellowish-red; and the
under tail-coverts mottled with brown.