became satisfied th a t Ruffe d*Graus was the -eMy* sp e c if to be
found in%«rgijtt*a^« ^v
' The gallant .and l&mented Governor Lewis' gave the first
authentic Mfor#MtoW* ofolfhe« existefie#|# th|s bird within!
limits sof'tltes^st^est He met with*£fc fh^he upper waters of the
Missourif btot‘bbte»#isj that itug peeuliarl^ the inhabitant of H i
great' plains Of*uke #61umhia; He^ states also that the TirflTnfAfr
lateral pr;Ofce^ses"of the t<$?s, wlfh»WiMch*#tis fornished in winter
like the Test of its *genus,*drop off in summer. • •
s= Say introduced the species- regularly into t i l Scientific reettrdi
of his country. The expedition under Major Long brought feafck
a specimen how in:fceThilade^hia*Mus^feii fr6fli>WhMt^thhhgh
ai female, and unusually iight eolouredy wfe haVesbM©wr drawing
made, on account ^pf its haying been procured in^the American
territory«!!« The b i r # i s never seen in any of the- Atlant^^statesy”
though numerous in high northern latitudes. It is common near
Severn river and Albany fort, inhabiting jthet unfejHtlfdted. lands
«a the 'neighbourhood of, the settlements, and. ft^rticularly,near
tne southern parts of Hudson’s bay, being Ifften killed in winter
near Fort York;- but it dbes not extCad its rm%e«to Churchill.
Near Fort William on Lake Superior, the Sharp-tailcd ’Gaous is
also found in'spring, and we have Ueen specimens killed iu wintet
at Cumberland- House, and others at York Factory in suhrine&
In collections it is -very rare; and. Temmimpk, when Re wrote his
history of gallinaceous birds, had never seen a specimen* n o rd id
i t exist at the time in any European museum. •
'■ It is by th e shape ofctbe 'tail that this Grous is eminently-
distinguished! from all others. T h e English name which We have;
with Mr;. Sabine,• selected from Pennant, is much more applicable
than that crf Longitadedy give« by Sdwards; I for instead bf being
long, it is, except the middle feathers, remarkably short, euneiforid;
add acute; more resembling that of some Ducks' than of the
P h e a sa n t.B y |th e elongated feathers, but in no other particular,
thi-s-speeies;-approaches the Africa« g e n u ® . H u d s o n ’s
bay it,.is failed .Rheasa-htHa name which*though«.inappropriate,
■sterns at least,better applied .to this than, the Rafted Grous..
. Tbe-.-wigunal *write?s$thpt h ave. mefitioned*«thisv,Grous are,
Edwards^fWho first introdu4^dW'%;a-md:ilias figuredlthcffoinale- from
a badly stuffed specimen, being figure • before
ours.5. Remnant; .Heannej who ;has given* the. most*.-information
concerning its habits derived from personal observation; and.
Rojrster, who. ■ .
adopted At f^rum Edwards, but afterwards mOst unaceountably
Ch^geclhis mindi) and consideBed iti a^ ;U-tfe®0.®;lef ©fetheEuropeam
Cbck pf the Woods. § I t was restored,,by liatham and othersr to
jtjs, proper r,ank in the scale,ofobejngs. - ,
,i,.,The.jSharp-tailed «Grous is remarkably shy*y|mrig solitary} or
by pairs, during sUmm:©r,iiand:nBt .associating in packs till* autumn;
remaining thus'throughout the nvintep©! Whilst the Ruffed.Groufs
i$%rnever found but in woods, and the Pinnated Grous < only in
plains, the presenturcq^Cnts .either indifferently; =. They however,
qf (dioice, inhabit what are call©d,the juniper plains, keeping
among the ' small juniper shushes,' the Ihpdsv fCdhs^tming their
principal food. • They^areiUsusaHy^steen on the ground,abut when
disturbed fly to - the highest dsrefes. Their food;.in summer is
composed .qf.iberrips,, the 1 .various. sorts-: of* which *they eagerly
seek: .an winter t^ ey are confined to the: buds and tops -of evergreens,
o r of birch and alder, hut ^especially poplar, of whichsthey
are very fond. They are more easily {approached in autumn than
when they inhabit large forests, iUs, t-hey then keep alighting on
the ,top&>of the tallest poplars* beyond the reach of an ordinary
gun. When disturbed in that * position, «they , are! apt to hide
themselves in the snow;.jJbut .Hearne‘dnforms us that tbie*hunter’s
chance is-not the better for that, for-.so - rapidly«».d© they -make