Grouse, they build, on the \ ground,- laying perhaps fewer eggs :
these are varied with white, yellow, and- black, They are easily
approached, -being unsuspicious, and>'bypo means so shy ■assise
©<ri»mdn Huffed Grous, •• and .»are killed or Strapped iii numbers
without much artifice being necessary for This ., purpose, a; When
much disturbed,'like their kindred-speei&s1 they are apt to resort
to trees, where, by using the precaution of always shooting the
lowest, the whole of- the terrified flock- may he brought down to
the last bird.
u The Spotted iGrous. is smaller than :the- common Partridge or
Pheasant, being, but fifteen inches: in length. The bill is Maok,
seven-eighths.of an inch long. The general colouF of the' plumiage
is made up of black’ and gray mingled in transverse wavy crescentsr,
with-a few of grayish rufous on the neek. The small feathers
covering the nostrils are. deep velvetty .Mack.■;^(#3^&-.|eaithers
may all be called black* as to, the ground colour, and blackish
plumbeousi-at the base; (fiGthpieroWn, upper sides jo-f the head
above the4eye,and the anteridr portion of the neck, ithey have e aeh
two gray bands or small crescents, and tipped with a tMt% these
parts,' owing to the' gray margin of tbedfeathers-being-*vei^y broad,
appear nearly all gray. These longer feathers of tfibslower part
of the neck above* and between the sbpulders, are more broadly
and deeply black, each With a reddish band, and gray only a trip ;
the lowest have-even, two reddish bands, which pass gradually
into grayish; a few of .the lateral feathers of the neck are almost
pure wMte, all the remaining feathers of the upper parts of the
body have two grayish bands, besides a slight tip of the same
colour* some of the lowest and longest Having even three of these
bands besides .tipfctip. The very long upper tail-coverts are well
distinguished, not only by their shape) but also, by their colours,
being black brown, thickly Sprinkled- on the' margins with grayish
rusty, and a pretty well defined band-, of that colour towards the
jpoioartt, then a* narrow ©w©( of *dteeps-black? andare-’broadly. tipped
,w>ith whitishgf ay,» lpure O.E’-iess pure in? dd-flerentspecimens; their
-shafts afeca^fejihroWnish rusty?*' »ipaidsides?,ofeth^-ihead beneath
the eyes*, together with' the4t®Baat*'>aEe^d>eepi.-hl.ack with pure white
-spoits, the white lying curiously upon tb$- feathers, so ».as to form a
band aibqufethe middle, -e©ntin-ueds.ahmg. the shafoyeund spreading
at the .point; hut, the&.ffiea-bhers'. being/’s-mall -JeUsv? these parts, the
•white,spots are-- not very ©ongpicnouis-i^fTb^breast ate©'dsi? deep
black, hut ea ©Me ather-broadly tipped .witbpnre whit©) constituting
the large spots »by, which .this opeci©s:As:«©>’pec^mMy A$ii|gtttehed.
On the flanks, the feathers are. a t ^ a ? s e ‘waved
.Wfttjh'rblack a n d . gpayish .rusty i-.crescents,- <b«t thesCViih^btee
■gradually; de&s.pure - and defined, and by; gbtrirt!g.»codfused^t?ma-k'e
^ipjteswest appear-mottled with the': tw©4©M®ii«s ;-vall are marked
-along the 'shaft with white, - dilating*' aWftp,. forming-ron the
largest a conspicuous? terminal spotey-The -.vents» is 'teTa space
pare wbitej^tb^ rips nfedts? d©wnyjiSfea#b®rs .do-eiing*. of, that
the under, tail-coverts ares deepy? blacky - pure a white for* half
•an inch at their rip* and with a white mark along, the shaft
besides;^ The wings - are - seven inches!*long* the fourth primary
hlone-, being -somewhat longer than the rest, d^hei upper -coverts
and scapularies are- blackish, waved -.and mottled- with?“~grayish
rusty; the. longest-spapularies have, a?small terminal.spot of. pure
white along their shaft. The smaller ^dver-ts are naerely edged
with grayish . rusty,-and in ^ e ry perfectspecimens they are even
.plain; the under yringsooverts are brownish dusky, edged . with
grayish* some of the largest,-as well/as tfat§ l®hg axillary feathers,
having whiter shafts .dilating into a terminal spot;.* the-remaining
inferior surface of,.the,wing is- bright,“silvery.grayr, the spurious
wing, and the qudllsvare plain dusky «brown, ,the. S'dcohdaries«- being
slightly tipped and edged externally with , paler* and those
nearest the body* somewhat mottled with -grayish rusty. at the