THE PRAIRIE HEN (Cupidonia Americana).
THE PRAIRIE HEN (Cupidonia Americana).
THE PRAIRIE HEN (Cupidonia Americana).
Such an account appears still more strange when we learn that in the same country where sixty years ago they could not have been sold for more than a cent a-piece, scarcely one is now to be found. The Grouse have abandoned the State of Kentucky, and removed (like the Indians) every season further westward to escape from the murderous white man. In the Eastern States where some of them still exist, game-laws have been made for their protection. The Pinnated Grouse selects for its abode wide prairies and treeless land covered only with grass or scattered bushes, and has hence received the name of the Prairie Hen; it does not, however, avoid cultivated land,but readily avails itself of the plentiful supplies of food to be found there. This species is more strictly confined to the ground than any other of its kindred, and seldom ascends the trees or bushes except in search of fruits or berries, or when pressed by severe weather. In winter these birds go on expeditions which have been called migrations, but though these occur with some regularity, their only object is to seek for favourable feeding-places. Even these short journeyings are not always undertaken, but take place in certain winters, so that many sportsmen are under the impression that these birds are non-migratory. This species is less elegant than the Ruffled Grouse, its walk resembling that of the Common Hen, although it carries its head more erect. If surprised it rises at once; but if it perceives the sportsmen from a distance and the spot around it clear, it runs off swiftly to the next high grass, there to conceal itself till danger is past. Audubon describes these birds as running rapidly with wings partially expanded, until suddenly meeting with a large clod they stop, squat, and disappear in a moment. At noon they may be seen near to each other dusting themselves and trimming their feathers. When the mother of a brood is discovered with her young, she ruffles up her feathers and tries every art to allure you from the place. On the larger branches of trees these birds walk with ease; but on smaller ones balance themselves with their wings. They usually roost singly on little risings of the ground, and a few feet apart. Their flight is strong, regular, tolerably rapid, and at times prolonged to several miles distance.
Plate 27. Cassell's Book of BirdsCOLUMBA LIVIA ____ ROCK PIGEON(about one half Nat. size)
Plate 27. Cassell's Book of BirdsCOLUMBA LIVIA ____ ROCK PIGEON(about one half Nat. size)
Plate 27. Cassell's Book of Birds
COLUMBA LIVIA ____ ROCK PIGEON
(about one half Nat. size)
[See larger version]
"The Pinnated Grouse," says Audubon, "moves through the air with frequent beats, after which it sails with the wings bent downwards, balancing itself for a hundred yards or more, as if to watch the movements of its pursuer, for at this time they can be easily observed to look behind them as they proceed. They never rise when disturbed without uttering four or five distinct clucks, although at other times they fly off in silence. The ordinary voice of this species nearly resembles that of our domestic fowls, but during the pairing season the male utters a peculiar call.
"The curious notes," continues the same writer, "emitted in the love season are peculiar to the male. When the receptacles of air above alluded to, which in form, colour, and size resemble a small orange, are perfectly inflated, the bird lowers its head to the ground, opens its bill, and sends forth, as it were, the air contained in these bladders in distinctly-separated notes, rolling one after another, from loud to low, and producing a sound like that of a large, muffled drum. This done, the bird immediately erects itself, refills its receptacles by inhalation, and again proceeds with its 'tootings.'" Audubon observed in those Prairie Hens he tamed, that after producing the noise the bags lost their rotundity and assumed the appearance of a burst bladder, but in a few seconds became again inflated. He caught one of these birds and pierced the air-cells with the point of a pin, after which it was unable to "toot" any more. Another bird, of which he punctured one cell only, was unable to inflate that one, but next morning could toot with the other, though not so loudly as before. As soon as the pairing and fighting season is over, the bladders collapse and are concealed beneath the feathers of the ruff. During the winter they are much reduced in size. The bladders and long neck-feathers are seen on the young males before the first winter, and in the spring attain maturity, but they increase in size and beauty for several years.
These birds live both on vegetable food and on insects. During the sowing season they visit corn-fields of various kinds, where they do considerable damage. They feed on the barberry, and various other berries growing on low shrubs, on buds of various plants, and on acorns. "In the western country," says Audubon, "these birds frequent the sumach bushes to feed on their seeds, often in such numbers that I have seen them bent by their weight, and I have counted more than fifty on a single apple-tree, the buds of which they entirely destroyed in a few hours. They also alight on high forest trees on the margins of large rivers. During winter these Grouse congregate in large flocks, but as soon as the snows have melted away, and the first blades of grassissue from the earth, announcing the approach of spring, they separate into parties of fifty or more, their love season commences, and a spot is pitched upon to which they daily resort until incubation is established. Inspired by love, the male birds, before the first glimpse of day lightens the horizon, fly swiftly and singly from their grassy beds to meet, to challenge, and to fight the various rivals led by the same impulse to the arena. The male is at this season arrayed in his full dress, and enacts his part in a manner not surpassed in pomposity by any other bird. Imagine them assembled to the number of twenty by daybreak; see them all strutting in presence of each other; mark their consequential gestures, their looks of disdain, and their angry pride as they pass each other. Their tails are spread out and inclined forwards to meet the expanded feathers of their neck, which now, like stuffed frills, lie supported by the globular, orange-coloured receptacles of air from which their singular booming sounds proceed. Their wings, like those of the Turkey Cock, are stiffened, and declined so as to rub and rustle on the ground as the bird passes rapidly along. Their bodies are depressed towards the ground, the fire of their eyes evinces the pugnacious workings of their minds, their notes fill the air around, and at the very first answer from some coy female the heated blood of the feathered warriors swells every vein, and presently the battle rages. Like Game Cocks, they strike and rise in the air to meet their assailants with greater advantage. Now many close in the encounter; feathers are seen whirling in the agitated air, or falling around them tinged with blood. The weaker begin to give way, and one after another seek refuge in the neighbouring bushes. The remaining few, greatly exhausted, maintain their ground, and withdraw slowly and proudly, as if each claimed the honours of victory. The vanquished and the victors then search for the females, who, believing each to have returned from the field in triumph, receive them with joy. It not unfrequently happens that a male already mated is suddenly attacked by some disappointed rival, who unexpectedly pounces upon him after a flight of considerable length, having been attracted by the cackling of the happy couple. The female invariably squats next to and almost under the breast of her lord, while he, always ready for action, throws himself on his daring antagonist, and chases him away never to return."
In tracts of land in the western country, the Pinnated Grouse may be heard booming and tooting before break of day, and at all hours afterwards until sunset; but in those districts where they have been frequently annoyed by that intruder, man, their meetings are more noiseless, their battles shorter and less frequent, and their fighting-grounds more concealed. Many of the young males fight in the autumn, the females generally joining them to make peace.
The nest is made earlier or later, according to the latitude of the place, between the beginning of April and the end of May. Audubon found a nest in Kentucky finished and containing a few eggs at the first-mentioned date; but he thinks, taking the difference of seasons into consideration, that the average time is about the beginning of May. The nest, which is formed of dry leaves and grass, neatly interwoven, is carefully placed amid the tall grass, or a large tuft in the open ground, or at the foot of a bush. The eggs are from eight to twelve in number, and are of a light colour. The mother sits upon the nest eighteen or nineteen days, and as soon as the young have freed themselves, leads them away from the nest, when the male ceases to associate with her. In autumn the families congregate together in flocks, which at the approach of winter consist of several hundreds. When alarmed, the young squat so closely in the grass as to be quite hidden. "Once," says Audubon, "my horse almost placed his foot on a covey that was in the path. I observed them, and instantly leaped to the ground; but, notwithstanding all my endeavours, the cunning mother saved them by a single cluck. The little fellows rose on the wing for only a few yards. I spent much time in search of them; I could not discover one. I was greatly amused, however, by the arts the mother employed to induce me to leave the spot where they lay concealed."
These birds never have more than one brood during the year; but should the eggs have been destroyed, a second set is laid, generally fewer in number than the first. About the 1st of August the young are nearly as large as the little American Partridge, and are then fit for the table; but they do not become strong in the wing till the middle of October.
The war against these Grouse is carried on in various ways. Some are shot on their breeding-places, others killed with sticks, or caught in nets and snares. "I observed," says Audubon, "that for several nights in succession many of these Grouse slept in a meadow not far distant from my house. This piece of ground was thickly covered with tall grass, and one dark night I thought of amusing myself by trying to catch them. I had a large seine, and took with me several negroes supplied with lanterns and long poles, with the latter of which they bore the net completely off the ground. We entered the meadow in the early part of the night, although it was so dark that without a light, one could hardly have seen an object a yard distant, and spreading out the leaded end of the net, carried the other end forward by means of the poles, at the height of a few feet. I had marked before dark a place in which a great number of the birds had alighted, and now ordered my men to proceed towards it. As the net passed over the first Grouse in the way, the alarmed bird flew directly towards the confining part of the angle, and almost at the same moment a great number of others arose, and, with much noise, followed the same direction. At a signal, the poles were laid flat on the ground, and we secured the prisoners, bagging some dozens. Repeating our experiment three times in succession, we met with equal success; but now we gave up the sport on account of the loud bursts of laughter from the negroes, who could no longer refrain. Leaving the net on the ground, we returned to the house laden with spoil, although I am confident that several hundreds had escaped."
"The Pinnated Grouse," as Audubon further relates, "is easily tamed, and easily kept. It also breeds in confinement. I have often been surprised," he continues, "that it has not been fairly domesticated. While at Henderson I purchased sixty alive that were expressly caught for me within twelve miles of that village, and brought in a bag laid across the back of a horse. I cut the tips of their wings, and turned them loose in a garden and orchard about four acres in extent. Within a week they became tame enough to allow me to approach them without their being frightened. I supplied them with abundance of corn, and they fed besides on vegetables of various kinds. This was in the month of September, and almost all of them were young birds. In the course of the winter they became so gentle as to feed from the hand of my wife, and walked about the garden like so many tame fowls, mingling occasionally with the domestic poultry. I observed that at night each individual made choice of one of the heaps in which a cabbage had grown, and that they invariably turned their breast to the wind, whatever way it happened to blow. When spring returned they strutted, 'tooted,' and fought, as if in the wilds where they had received their birth. Many laid eggs, and a good number of young ones made their appearance; but the Grouse at last proved so destructive to the young vegetables—tearing them up by the roots—that I ordered them to be killed. So brave were some of the male birds that they never flinched in the presence of a Turkey Cock; and now and then would stand against a Dunghill Cock for a pass or two before they would run from him."
The PTARMIGANS (Lagopus) constitute a group of remarkable birds, characterised by their very compact body, medium-sized wings, in which the third quill is the longest, a short, slightly rounded, or straight tail, composed of eighteen feathers, and a small beak. The comparatively small feet have the tarsi and toes covered with hairy feathers. The rich plumage varies in its hues according to the season of the year; the sexes are very similar in their coloration, and the young soonacquire the same tints as their parents. The unusually large claws possessed by the members of this group are shed, like those of their congeners, when the plumage is changed. The Ptarmigans inhabit both America and the Eastern Hemisphere as far northward as vegetation extends, and have occasionally been seen even at 80° north latitude. In a southerly direction they are met with as far as the Alps, the Pyrenees, and the mountains of Central Europe.
These birds live on open ground, and feed upon twigs and leaves of shrubs, berries, grasses, and seeds; their flight is quick, strong, and prolonged. They walk and run very nimbly, and often escape from their pursuers by hiding under shrubs or among heather, when much alarmed they take wing, but even then never resort to the woods for shelter. Their eggs, which are numerous, are spotted with dark brown. The young run about as soon as they leave the egg, and follow their mother in search of food. At the approach of winter several families frequently associate together.
THE WILLOW PTARMIGAN.
The WILLOWPTARMIGAN(Lagopus albus) is about fifteen inches long and twenty-four inches and a half broad; its wing measures seven inches and a half, and the tail four inches and a quarter, the female is one inch shorter and narrower than her mate. During the winter the plumage of this beautiful bird is of a dazzling white, except the fourteen outer tail-feathers, which are black, with white roots and edges; the six largest quills have an oval brownish black streak in the outer web. As the pairing season advances, the head and nape become reddish brown, spotted and streaked with black, the feathers on the shoulders, back, and rump, and those in the centre of the tail are black, edged with white, and have lines of reddish brown or yellow over half their surface; the tail-feathers become paler and lose their light edges. The primary quills remain white as in winter, while the secondaries turn brown; the face and throat are usually of unspotted reddish brown; the head, upper breast, and thighs of a reddish hue, dotted and lined with black; the feathers of the middle part of the breast are black, spotted with reddish brown and white, and those of the belly and legs entirely white. The lower tail-covers are black, marked with reddish brown and yellow, and the corners of the mouth are decorated with white spots. The above colours often vary in their shades, and in the course of the summer become much paler. The female is always lighter in hue than her mate, and acquires her summer plumage before the male. When the feathers begin to darken, the comb on the brow becomes higher and of a reddish tint.
Many observers have assumed that there are two moulting seasons—the first, which occurs in autumn, extends to the whole of the feathers; during the second, which takes place in spring, the smaller feathers alone are changed; but the winter clothing does not immediately replace the summer dress, nor does that at once supersede the winter suit. On this account it has been supposed by some that the Ptarmigan moults four times in the year. American observers, on the contrary, think they have perceived that the smaller feathers at least are not replaced, but simply changed in colour. According to Richardson, "The second change is occasioned, not by the reproduction of feathers, but by the coloured ones becoming white, the process commencing on their tip. This alteration takes place in scattered feathers, which at the same time lengthen, and in a week or ten days the change is complete; spotted specimens undergoing the change may be distinguished from spring ones by the worn state of the tarsal feathers."
This Ptarmigan is spread throughout the northern parts of both the New and Old World, although it is not found everywhere in the same numbers. It is very plentiful in Scandinavia, and also in Finland, and Russia, and common in the eastern coasts of the latter country, and in many parts of Siberia. Radde did not meet with it about the Lake of Baikal or the Amur, and therefore concludes that it does not stay there during the summer; but he found it in Eastern Sayan, at a height ofbetween five and six thousand feet above the sea-level, on wide plains, overgrown with birch bushes. It breeds in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains, and upon the arctic coasts; but collecting in flocks on the approach of winter, it retires southward as the severity of the weather increases. Considerable bodies, however, remain behind, even in the coldest winters. In the year 1819 its earliest appearance at Cumberland House, latitude fifty-four degrees, was in the second week in November, and it returned to the northward again before the beginning of spring.
THE WILLOW PTARMIGAN (Lagopus albus). ONE-THIRD NATURAL SIZE.
THE WILLOW PTARMIGAN (Lagopus albus). ONE-THIRD NATURAL SIZE.
THE WILLOW PTARMIGAN (Lagopus albus). ONE-THIRD NATURAL SIZE.
These Ptarmigans prefer the shelter of birch or willow trees, and where such abound are frequently met with in very large numbers, one pair living close to another, but each holding its own small domain (usually measuring about fifteen paces) with the utmost intrepidity against all intruders; no sooner, however, is the breeding season over than the various families unite into large flocks, and wander over the country to a considerable distance. In disposition this species is lively, and its movements generally restless and rapid, its broad, thickly-feathered feet enabling it to run with equal facility over fresh snow or unsafe moss-covered earth. Whilst in motion the head and tail are usually held down; but when the bird is quite secure from danger, the body is kept much elongated, and the head boldly raised erect. The flight is graceful and light, that of the male accompanied by a loud resonant note as he is about to descend, but the female utters no sound when on the wing. Duringvery severe seasons, or when an enemy is at hand, the Willow Ptarmigan frequently takes refuge in the snow for warmth or shelter; and in very sharp wind, or biting frost, it is not uncommon to see a whole flock snugly buried in a snow-bed, close to each other, with only their heads protruding, to enable them to detect the first sign of danger, in evading which they exhibit a most wonderful instinct. Their food consists of leaves, buds, blossoms, berries, and various kinds of insects; grain of all kinds they also devour. The nest of this species is concealed with great skill in some retired nook, and slightly lined with grass, earth, and feathers. The small pear-shaped eggs are laid at the end of May or beginning of June; they are from twelve to sixteen in number, and have a yellowish shell, thickly covered with reddish-brown dots and streaks. No sooner are the young capable of walking than they are at once led forth to seek their food upon the neighbouring marshes and bogs, as the insects and larvæ of which such localities afford a rich supply are particularly acceptable to the delicate little family. Throughout the whole of the breeding season, many and fierce encounters take place between the male birds, and from ten o'clock in the evening till early morning their loud calls may be heard challenging each other to a trial of strength, which usually continues until the females gently warn their pugnacious partners that it is time to retire to rest.
THE ALPINE OR GREY PTARMIGAN.
The ALPINEor GREYPTARMIGAN(Lagopus Alpinusormutus)—see Coloured PlateXXVIII.—may be said to vary its plumage every month during the summer. At all seasons, however, the belly, lower tail-covers, exterior wing-covers, quills, and tarsi are white, the tail is black, and the quills streaked with black. About the middle of April other black feathers begin to make their appearance, and the entire plumage becomes, as it were, chequered. By May the head, throat, back, and upper feathers of the wing-covers are more or less variegated with reddish brown and white. As the autumn approaches the feathers gradually change, and by the end of September are of a light grey, dotted with black, and the reddish streaks on the neck and head almost white. In the female these parts are marked with undulating reddish and black lines, the bands being much broader and more clearly defined. In winter the plumage of the male is entirely of a snowy white, except the few black tail-feathers; these latter also show a light border. Occasionally specimens are met with that have retained some of these dark feathers through the cold season.
The Alpine Ptarmigan, or Fjall Ripa, as it is called, is met with in Scotland, and abounds in Scandinavia, in the higher ranges of that peninsula, up to the vicinity of the North Cape.
"The Fjall Ripa," says Professor Rusch, in a letter to Mr. Lloyd, "is found so far south in the province of Christiansand, that its southern limits can certainly be placed in latitude 58° 40´. It occurs wherever the mountains rise above the limits of the dwarf birch, with steep precipices and stone rubble. On mountains in the southern districts of Norway, at the height of 3,000 to 3,500 feet, the sportsman may be tolerably certain of meeting with one pair or more of these birds."
During the year the plumage varies very considerably, being almost in a constant state of moult. By all accounts, this species puts on at least three different dresses in the course of the year. The tail-feathers are always black, and the male has a small black mark from the base of the bill to the temple; but with these exceptions the winter dress of both sexes is white.
The male begins to assume his spring dress about the middle of April, the female a few days later, and usually completes it by the end of May or beginning of June; the information respecting the autumnal moulting is not so precise. In the beginning of September, according to Barth, they have assumed the greater part of their autumnal dress, which about the middle of the same month begins to change into the winter plumage in such a manner that the autumn moulting is simultaneously continued.
TheLagopus Alpinusis not shy in summer, and early in autumn may be approached very closely without taking flight. "Not unfrequently, indeed," says Mr. Lloyd, "the fowler or wayfarer finds himself in the very midst of a brood, without having been previously aware of its presence; but as the season advances the several families 'pack,' and they then become very wary, especially should they have become associated with theLagopus albus, which is of a much wilder nature, and thus they keep together throughout the winter, and until the month of May, when they separate in pairs. Their favourite resorts are amongst stones and shingle, where they find shelter in bad weather, and from which in their summer plumage they are hardly to be distinguished."
During the summer and autumn they feed on seeds and leaves, especially on those of the crakeberry (Empetrum nigrum), the leaves of which are green all the year round. When heavy storms of snow make these unattainable they devour the tender tops of willow and dwarf birch.
"The easily satisfied appetite of theLagopus Alpinus," says M. Barth, "coupled with the fact that the crakeberry grows in such profusion everywhere as in many places to cover the whole slope of thefjall, up to near the line of perpetual snow, explains the question why these birds never lack food in the higher regions, where one would least suppose it possible for any living creature to find the wherewithal to sustain existence. The crakeberry plant in some years has so many berries that the ground looks black with them; nevertheless, in those years I never found the berries themselves in the crop of this species, but only the stalks and leaves. After producing fruits in such abundance, the crakeberry plant would seem to require some time for rest, inasmuch as in the succeeding year scarcely a berry is to be seen on it. The Ptarmigan would therefore be very badly off if its taste only permitted it to feed on the berry and not on the stalk—another instance of the wise foresight of Nature. During pairing time the cry of the male is said to resemble the croak of a frog, or the snoring of a man. The female note is a low 'ü-ack, ü-ack.'"
The nest is made among stones, or heather and grass. The eggs are yellowish, with brown spots, and are from eight to fourteen in number. The brood is hatched about the middle or end of June, according to the season. The male is said to remain with his mate during the time of incubation, but as soon as the young are hatched he leaves them with their mother and joins his male companions on the upper part of thefjalls, where his family follow him with their mother as soon as they are sufficiently grown; both parents and brood remain together till the approach of winter, when the various families unite in packs. Mr. Lloyd, however, doubts the truth of the generally-believed fact of the partial separation of the male from his family, and thinks that these packs of males may be such as have been unable to obtain mates.
"While the female is sitting," says M. Grouland, "the male always remains in the near vicinity of the nest, to protect her against the attacks of foxes, weasels, and the numerous birds of prey by which she is then often molested. He never separates from her, even after the young are hatched, but accompanies the family everywhere, and evinces the same regard for the mother as for the poults. When meeting a family of Fjall Ripa (the Swedish name for these birds) in the forest, one has an opportunity of witnessing the instinct implanted by Nature in the parents to protect their offspring. Should a person then approach the spot where they are collected, the male, for the purpose of drawing the enemy's attention from them to himself, runs forward to meet him with plaintive cries and outstretched wings, thereby endangering himself to secure the safety of those he holds dearer than life itself."
M. Barth relates that, "When the fowler comes suddenly upon a brood of young Fjall Ripa it is really distressing to see the mother running to and fro before him. Should he remain stationary, her boldness gradually increases, until at length, either from a feeling of her own weakness, or from her fears being dispelled at seeing him make no attempts to injure her, she by degrees retires with thesame pitiable mien, and ultimately hides herself behind a bush, waiting for the moment when she may once more venture to call her chicks together. Ofttimes has a female Fjall Ripa approached so near me in the way I have described that I could have killed her with my foot."
TheLagopus Alpinusis pursued by many feathered enemies, and when hard pressed sometimes takes refuge in the hut of the Laplander or among his reindeer. "Of all the genusTetrao," says Mr. Lloyd, "this species is the least in request in Scandinavia, but if well dressed I have always found it very palatable, and little inferior to theLagopus albus."
THE ALPINE PTARMIGAN (Lagopus Alpinus), IN SUMMER PLUMAGE. ONE-THIRD NATURAL SIZE.
THE ALPINE PTARMIGAN (Lagopus Alpinus), IN SUMMER PLUMAGE. ONE-THIRD NATURAL SIZE.
THE ALPINE PTARMIGAN (Lagopus Alpinus), IN SUMMER PLUMAGE. ONE-THIRD NATURAL SIZE.
THE RED GROUSE, BROWN PTARMIGAN, OR GAR COCK.
The REDGROUSE, BROWNPTARMIGAN, or GARCOCK(Lagopus Scoticus), closely resembles the above bird in its general appearance during the summer, but is without the white feathers in the wings, and has the feet covered with plumage of a greyish hue, spotted with brown. The feathers on the head and nape are light reddish brown, spotted with black; those on the back and wing-covers are spotted in the centre with black; the throat-feathers are red, those on the back and belly dark purplish brown, with numerous markings; the quills are dark brown, and the quill-feathers, except the four in its centre (which are striped red and black) are entirely black; the plumage on the legs has a reddish shade and dark markings; the tarsi and toes are covered with whitish feathers. The eye is nut-brown, the beak black, and the powerful claws of a whitish hue. The female is darker than her mate, has white spots on her breast and belly, and some of her wing-feathers tipped with white. This species is fifteen inches long and twenty-six broad; the female is not quite so long.
The Red Grouse is peculiar to Great Britain and Ireland, not having been found in any other part of the world, and is especially abundant in Scotland, inhabiting heathy tracts from thesea-level to a height of 2,000 feet, particularly in the moist peat tracts of the western and northern districts.
"It is pleasant," says Macgillivray, "to hear the bold challenge of the Gar Cock at early dawn on the wild moor, remote from human habitation. I remember with delight the cheering influence of its cry on a cold morning in September, when, wet to the knees and with a sprained ankle, I had passed the night in a peat-bog in the midst of the Grampians, between the sources of the Tummel and the Dee." After expatiating on his misadventures and the reflections to which they gave rise, he continues, "However, morning came at last, and I started up to renew my journey. It was now that I got a view of my lodging, which was an amphitheatre formed of bare craggy hills, covered with fragments of stone and white moss, and separated by patches of peat-bog. Not a house was to be seen, nor a sheep, or so much as a blade of green grass. Not a vestige of life can be found here, thought I; but I was reproved by a cry which startled me. The scarlet crest and bright eye of a Moor Cock were suddenly protruded from a tuft of heather, and I heard with delight the well-known 'kok, kok' of the 'blessed bird,' as the Highlanders call him."
THE ALPINE PTARMIGAN (Lagopus Alpinus), IN WINTER PLUMAGE. ONE-HALF NATURAL SIZE.
THE ALPINE PTARMIGAN (Lagopus Alpinus), IN WINTER PLUMAGE. ONE-HALF NATURAL SIZE.
THE ALPINE PTARMIGAN (Lagopus Alpinus), IN WINTER PLUMAGE. ONE-HALF NATURAL SIZE.
"The Brown Ptarmigan," continues our author, "feeds for the most part upon the tops of heath (Calluna vulgarisandErica cinerea), and also picks the leaves and tender twigs ofVaccinium myrtillusandEmpetrum nigrum, with the young heads ofEriophorum vaginatum, shoots ofGalium saxatile,Carices, grasses, willows, and other plants. It is also said to eat the berries ofEmpetrum nigrum,accinium myrtillus, andVaccinium vitisidæa. In two instances I have found its crop filled with oat-seeds, to which it is said to be very partial, although it rarely ventures upon cultivated land. While feeding, it walks among the heath, selecting the fresh tips of the twigs, which it breaks off nearly of the same size, the largest pieces not exceeding half an inch in length. Along with these substances, fragments of white quartz, from one-twelfth to two-twelfths of an inch in diameter, are found in the crop and gizzard, being introduced for the purpose of aiding the action of the latter in comminuting the food. When the Brown Ptarmigans have filled their crops they repose among the heath or bask under a sunny bank, under the shelter of the shrubs or tufts of herbage. On ordinary occasions this species does not fly much, but keeps concealed among the heath, seldom choosing to rise, unless its enemy comes very near. On the approach of danger it lies close to the ground, when, being of a colour not contrasting strongly with that of the plants around, it is with difficulty perceived by rapacious birds." When traced by a dog, it either runs to some distance or squats at once, and often remains thus concealed for a long time, or again runs and squats. "I have seen them," continues Macgillivray, "run in this manner for four or five hundred yards before they were put up. On such occasions the male is generally the first to rise. He erects himself among the heath, stretches out his neck, utters a loud cackle, and flies off, followed by the female and young, affording by their straightforward, heavy, though strong flight an easy mark to a good shot."
The Red Grouse flies low, heavily, and in a direct course, moving its wings rapidly, sometimes, especially when at full speed, with a whirring sound, and then descending with almost motionless pinions.
"If disturbed when feeding," says Macgillivray, "the male often boldly starts up and utters a loud cackle, which may be imitated by quickly repeating the syllable 'kok' with a deep voice. In spring and summer they are often heard uttering the same sound without being disturbed, either as a call of defiance to their fellows, or as a warning or protection to their mates and young. Early in the morning as well as late in the evening, but occasionally through the day, you may hear on the moors a loud cry, which is easily syllabled into 'Go, go, go, go, go-back, go-back;' although the Celts, naturally imagining the Moor Cock to speak Gaelic, interpret it as signifying, 'Co, co, co, co, mo-claidh, mo-claidh'—that is, 'Who, who (goes there?) my sword! my sword!'" These birds pair early in spring. The nest is made in a hollow of the ground among the heath, and is irregularly formed of bits of twigs, grass, and a few feathers; the eggs, from eight to twelve in number, are oval, and of a yellowish white, yellowish grey, or brownish yellow colour, clouded, blotched, and dotted with blackish and amber brown. The young leave the nest soon after they are hatched, and are tended by both parents, the mother showing much anxiety for her progeny, and endeavouring by affecting lameness to lure any intruder from them. The young are soon able to fly, and all keep together till the end of autumn, when several flocks unite and form a pack, continuing together till spring arrives, when they separate and pair. In the more remote parts of Scotland the Red Grouse is considered a bird of good omen. By its crowing at dawn, the evil spirits of night are thought to be put to flight, or deprived of their power. The flesh of the Red Grouse is dark, and has a peculiar, bitter flavour, but is held in high estimation.
The PARTRIDGES (Perdices), one of the most numerous groups of the order, are comparatively slenderly built birds, with small heads and unfeathered tarsi. The wings, in which the third or fourth quill exceeds the rest in length, are relatively quite as short and rounded, but not so much arched as those of theTetraones. The tail, composed of from twelve to sixteen feathers, is always short. The somewhat elongated beak is but slightly raised at its culmen, and compressed at its sides. The tarsus is frequently furnished with one, or occasionally with two spurs. The members of thisgroup are without the warty skin above the eyes possessed by the birds above described; in some species, however, bare patches are observable on those parts, and on the throat. The plumage is smooth, and very similarly coloured in both sexes. These birds inhabit all portions of the eastern hemisphere, except its extreme north, and frequent every variety of locality from the coast to a very considerable height on mountain ranges. Some species prefer cultivated lands, while others are found in forests where they may occasionally be seen perched on the branches of trees. Their food consists of insects, grain, and portions of plants. The nest is a mere hole scratched in the dry mould, generally under the shelter of some bush or tuft of grass. The eggs, from twelve to twenty in number, are hatched in three weeks time; the female sits exceedingly close on her nest during this period, especially during the latter part of incubation, and offers a bold resistance to any enemy seeking to plunder her; but if quietly approached, both she and her eggs may be gently removed, and she will hatch them in confinement, departing with her young to the fields as soon as the latter are able to accompany her. The male takes no part in the labour of incubation, but like all birds that pair, he is attentive to his mate, assists her in defending the brood, and uses many arts to lure intruders from the nest. The young are reared on small insects, larvæ, and the eggs of insects; the parents leading them to the places where these are deposited, and scraping away the mould. Multitudes of ants and larvæ are eaten by young Partridges.
The SNOW PARTRIDGES (Tetraogallus) may be regarded as combining the characteristics of both the Ptarmigans and Partridges. Their body is compactly framed, their neck short, the head small, the wing of moderate size, and slightly pointed at the extremity, its second and third quills being longer than the rest. The gently-rounded tail is of medium length; the beak long, broad, and powerful, and the heavy short foot furnished with a blunt spur. The thick plumage is much developed on the tail-covers; a small patch behind the eye is unfeathered.
THE CASPIAN SNOW PARTRIDGE.
The CASPIANSNOWPARTRIDGE(Tetraogallus Caspius), a member of the above group, inhabiting Persia, is dark grey upon the head, nape, and upper breast; the plumage on the back is varied grey and reddish yellow, and the rest of the under side grey, the shafts of the feathers are streaked longitudinally with reddish yellow. Two dark lines pass from the corners of the lower mandible to the breast. These lines divide three white patches, one on the throat, and one on each side of the face. The feathers on the upper wing-covers are shaded with black and reddish yellow, with a broad red edge at their outer web; the quills are pure white, as are the belly and feathers of the lower tail-covers. The eye is dark brown, the beak pale horn-grey, and the foot reddish yellow. The length is about twenty-four inches.
This species was first described by Gmelin, in 1788-93, in the thirteenth edition of the "Systema Naturæ." Latham, who places it among the true Partridges, says that it inhabits Astrabad, Ghilan, and other parts of Persia.
We are indebted to Mr. Gray, who has made for these birds the separate generic title ofTetraogallus, for the following description of their habits, derived from theSt. Petersburg Transactions:—"This species builds on the highest summits of the rocky mountains of the Caucasus. It prefers altogether the region of snow, which it never quits. Thus, when we desired to acclimatise the young chickens of this Partridge in the plains of Kahetia, they have not survived the spring. It runs on the rocks and the ledges of precipices with great agility, and rises with a great cry at the least danger; so that the most skilful sportsman cannot approach within shot except under cover of mists. It lives in societies of from six to ten, becoming the inseparable companion to the goat, on the excrement of whichit feeds during the winter months. In autumn it grows very fat, and its flesh resembles that of the Common Partridge. In the crop of this gallinaceous bird I have found a quantity of sand and small stones, mixed with all kinds of seeds of Alpine plants."
The following passage in Layard's "Discoveries in the Ruins of Nineveh and Babylon" seems also to refer to this species:—"A covey of large birds sailed with a rapid swoop, with the whistling sound peculiar to the Partridge kind, from an opposite height, and alighted within a few yards of me. They were theKabk-i-dered, or thePur-kak-lik, as they are called by the Turks, a gigantic Partridge, almost the size of a small Turkey, only found in the highest regions of Armenia and Kurdistan."
Prince Charles Bonaparte thought that there was some reason for believing that this species exists on the confines of Europe, and a correspondent of Mr. Gould's observed it among the mountains of Candia, where it was excessively rare, and only to be seen on the peaks of the hills.
In the Zoological Gardens, London, two specimens were received, one in 1842, and another about 1852, both of which lived there for several years.
THE HIMALAYAN SNOW COCK, OR SNOW PHEASANT.
The HIMALAYANSNOWCOCK, or SNOWPHEASANT(Tetraogallus Himalayensis), is grey upon the top of the head, cheeks, and nape. The feathers on the back are of a reddish grey, delicately spotted with black, and streaked with deep reddish brown. The chin, nape, throat, and lower breast are whitish. The upper breast is greyish white, decorated with crescent-shaped black spots. The rest of the feathers are grey, sprinkled with brown, and marked with two brown spots. The sides are paler than the mantle, and the lower covers almost white; the tarsi are dark grey. The eye is surrounded by two brown lines, which unite at the sides of the neck. The primary quills are white, their grey tips spotted with brown. The tail-feathers are of a reddish shade, spotted with black on the outer and grey on the inner web. The eye is deep brown, the bare patch behind it yellow, the beak pale horn-grey, and the foot yellowish red. The male is twenty-nine inches long, and forty broad; the wing measures thirteen, and the tail eight inches. The female does not exceed twenty-four inches in length.
"These fine birds," we learn from Hutton, "are common in the Hazara Mountains, and are called by the AffghansKank-i-durra, or the Partridge of the Ghâts. They are sometimes sold in the markets of Cabool and Candahar. They rise," he tells us, "in coveys of from ten to twenty, and usually have a sentry perched on some neighbouring rock, to give warning of danger by a low and musical whistle."
TheTetraogallus Himalayensis"is confined," says "Mountaineer," "exclusively to the snowy mountain ranges, or the large spurs jutting from them which are elevated above the limits of forest, but is driven in winter to perform one, and in some places two, annual migrations to the middle regions. In summer it is only seen near the limits of vegetation. In Kunawur it is common at all seasons, from Cheenee upwards; but on the Gangetic hills, from June till August, however much a person wanders about on the highest accessible places, but few are met with, and I have no doubt whatever but that nearly all such as at other seasons frequent this part retire across the snow into Chinese Tartary to breed. About the beginning of September these birds are first seen near the tops of the higher grassy ridges jutting from the snow, and the green slopes above and about the limits of forests. After the first general and severe fall of snow they come down in numbers on to some of the bare exposed hills in the forest regions, and remain there till the end of March. This partial migration is probably made in the night after the fall of snow, as I have invariably found them in their winter quarters early next morning. It requires a deep fall of snow to drive them down, and in some mild winters, except a few odd birds, they do not come at all. The birds on each respective hill seem to have a particular spot for their winter resort, which they return to every year the migration is made. The Snow Pheasant is gregarious, congregating in packs, sometimes to the number of twenty or thirty, but in general notmore than from five to ten, several packs inhabiting the same hill. In summer the few which remain on our side are found in single pairs generally; but across the snow, where the great body migrate, I almost always, even then, found several together. They seldom leave the hill on which they are located, but fly backwards and forwards when disturbed.
"TheJer-moonals, as these birds are called in India, never enter forest or jungle, and avoid spots where the grass is long, or where there is underwood of any kind. It is needless to add that they never perch. During the day, if the weather be fine and warm, they sit on the rocks, or rugged part of the hills, without moving much about, except in the morning and evening. When it is cold and cloudy, and in rainy weather, they are very brisk, and are moving about and feeding all day long. When feeding they walk slowly uphill, picking up the tender blades of grass and young shoots of plants, occasionally stopping to snatch up a certain bulbous root of which they seem very fond. If they reach the summit of the hill, after remaining stationary for some time, they fly off to another quarter, alighting some distance down, and again picking their way upwards. When walking, they erect their tails, have a rather ungainly gait, and at a little distance present something the appearance of a large grey Goose. They are partial to feeding on spots where the sheep have been kept at nights when grazing in the summer pastures. These places have been called 'tatters' by the shepherds, and the grass on them keeps green and fresh long after the rest of the hill is dry and brown. They roost on the rocks and shelves of precipices, and return to one spot many successive nights. Their call is a low, soft whistling, occasionally heard at intervals throughout the day, but more generally at daybreak. It is most common in cloudy weather. The first note is considerably prolonged, and followed by a succession of low rapid whistles. This species has by far the most agreeable song of all our game birds. This call is only heard when the bird is at rest. When alarmed and walking away, it sometimes utters, at short intervals, a single low whistle, and when it gets on the wing the whistles are shrill and very rapid. However far it flies, the whistles are continued until it alights, and for a few seconds afterwards, but then slightly changed in tone to a few notes which seem in a strange manner to express satisfaction at being again on the ground. However odd the comparison, I can compare the whistling of these birds, when flying and alighting, to nothing but the different sounds produced by the wings of a flock of Pigeons when flying, and when alighting on some spot where they have to flutter a few seconds before they gain footing."
The Jer-moonals are not remarkably wild or shy. When approached from below, on a person getting within eighty or one hundred yards, they move slowly uphill or slanting across, often turning to look back, and do not go very far unless followed. If approached from above they fly off at once, without walking many yards from the spot. They seldom, in any situation, walk far downhill, and never run, except for a few yards, when about to take wing. The whole flock rise together; their flight is rapid, downwards at first, and then curving, so as to alight on the same level. Where the hill is open and of great extent, it is often continued for upwards of a mile, at a considerable height in the air; when the space is more circumscribed, as is often the case on the hills they frequent in winter, it is of shorter duration, perhaps merely across or into the next ridge. "They feed on the leaves of plants and grass, and occasionally on moss, roots, and flowers; grass forms by far the greater portion of their food: they are very partial to the young blades of wheat and barley, when it is first springing up, and while it remains short, and should there be an isolated patch on the hill where they are, they visit it regularly night and morning. They never, however, come into what may be called the regularly cultivated parts. They are generally exorbitantly fat, but the flesh is not particularly good, and it has often an unpleasant flavour when the bird is killed at a high elevation, probably owing to some of the plants it there feeds upon. Though I have spent many summers on the snowy ranges, I never found the nest or eggs, but in Thibet I often met with broods of young ones newly hatched. Therewere, however, several old birds, and probably more than one brood of chicks, so I could form no correct idea of the number in one brood. The eggs which have been found by travellers are about the size of those of a Turkey, but like those of the Grouse, are of a more lengthened form; their ground colour is clear light olive, sparingly dotted over with small, light chestnut spots."
The considerable height at which the Snow Pheasants live secures them from many persecutors to whom their congeners are exposed: nevertheless they also have their enemies, for all the larger and stronger Eagles regard them as welcome prey. "The Ring-tailed Eagle," says "Mountaineer," "is an inveterate annoyer of these birds; inhabiting exposed situations where there is nothing to conceal so large a quarry from his sight as he sails along the hill-side above them, they at once arrest his attention, and are driven backwards and forwards by this unrelenting tormentor all day long." They, however, often manage to escape his clutches, for the same author continues: "On the appearance of these birds of prey, which fortunately for them are not very numerous, they seldom wait till one of them makes a stoop, but on the enemy wheeling round near the spot where they are, immediately fly off to another quarter; the Eagle never flies after or attacks them on the wing, so that although he allows them little quiet while near their resort, he only occasionally succeeds in securing one." From man this bird has little to fear, as few persons pursue game at the heights they inhabit, and the hunting propensities of the Eastern nations are not very considerable. According to "Mountaineer" these hardy birds are easily kept in confinement, but (although they will eat grain) would probably not live long without an occasional supply of their natural green food of grass and plants. "They may," he tells us, "be kept without the least trouble in large cages, the bottoms of which, instead of being solid, are made of bars of wood, or iron wire, so that the birds being put out on the grass may feed through the interstices."
The RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGES (Caccabis). This section embraces several European species possessing strong bodies, short necks, and comparatively large heads. The wings, in which the third and fourth quills exceed the rest in length, are of medium size: the tail, composed of from twelve to sixteen feathers, is moderately long, and not completely concealed by its upper covers. The beak is long, but powerful; the foot of medium height, and furnished with a blunt spur or species of horny wart. The thick smooth plumage is principally of a reddish grey, shaded in some instances to slate-grey; the upper breast, part of the throat, and the thighs are brightly coloured. These birds are met with in Southern Europe, Western and Central Asia, Northern and Western Africa, Madeira, and the Canary Islands, everywhere inhabiting such barren or rocky situations as accord with their mottled plumage, and carefully avoiding tree-covered regions.
THE GREEK PARTRIDGE.
The GREEKPARTRIDGE(Caccabis Græca, orC. saxatilis) is of a blueish grey, shaded with red on the breast and mantle; the throat is white; a line encircling the throat, another on the brow, and a small spot on the chin are black; the feathers on the thighs are striped alternately yellowish brown and black; the rest of the under side is reddish yellow; the quills are blackish brown, with yellowish white shafts, and reddish yellow streaks at the edge of the outer web; the exterior tail-feathers are rust-red. The eye is reddish brown, beak coral-red, and foot pale red. The length of the male is from thirteen to fourteen inches, the breadth from nineteen to twenty inches; the wing measures six, and the tail four inches; the female is smaller than her mate.
This bird is met with in Central Europe, but more numerously in the most southern parts of that continent; as also in Turkey, Asia Minor, Palestine, and Arabia: in a westerly direction it would appear to venture but rarely beyond the limits of the Red Sea, and in India and Southern China isrepresented by an almost identical species. It is a remarkable fact that, whilst such of these Partridges as inhabit Central Europe decidedly prefer sunny, verdure-covered spots lying beneath the snow-boundary of the Alps, those occupying warmer latitudes frequent the open plains and barren lowland tracts.
Tristram tells us that this is the commonest Partridge in the Holy Land: "In every part of the country, whether wooded or bare, it abounds, and its ringing call-note in early morning echoes from cliff to cliff, alike amidst the barrenness of the wilderness of Judea, and in the glens of the forest of Carmel. The male birds will stand erect on a boulder-stone, sending their cheery challenge to some rival across thewady, till the moment they perceive themselves detected; they then drop down from their throne, and scud up the hill faster than any dog, screening themselves from sight by any projecting rock as they run."
According to Lindermayer, the Greek Partridge lays as early as February; in the Alps the female does not brood till the end of May at the earliest, and often as late as July. The nest is a mere hollow in the ground, beneath a low bush, and is slightly lined with moss, heath, or grass. In the south even this trifling preparation for the little family is omitted, and the hen contents herself with making a hole in the sand. The eggs, from twelve to fifteen in number, have a pale, yellowish white shell, delicately streaked with light brown; the mother alone broods, and when her young are strong enough, leads them forth to seek their food in company with her mate. Tschudi tells us that the young display extraordinary alacrity in concealing themselves on the first alarm of danger, and on this account the shooting of these much-esteemed birds is attended with no small difficulty, and frequently tries the sportsman's patience to the utmost.
THE CHUCKORE.
The CHUCKOREPARTRIDGE(Caccabis Chukor), a very nearly allied species, is found throughout the Western Himalayas, passing into Thibet, and in the salt range and alpine regions of the Punjaub, passing into Affghanistan.
"In our part of the hills," says "Mountaineer" (the North-western Himalayas), "the Chuckore is most numerous in the higher inhabited districts, but is found scattered over all the lower and middle ranges. In summer they spread themselves in the grassy hills to breed, and about the middle of September begin to assemble in and around the cultivated fields near the villages, gleaning at first in the grain fields which have been reaped, and afterwards, during winter, in those that have been sown with wheat and barley for the ensuing season, preferring the wheat. A few straggling parties linger on the hill-sides, where they breed, as also in summer many remain to perform the business of incubation in the fields. In autumn and winter they keep in loose scattered flocks, very numerous, sometimes to the number of forty or fifty, or even a hundred. In summer, though not entirely separated, they are seldom seen in large flocks, and a single pair is often met with. They are partial to dry, stony localities, never go into forests, and in the lower hills seem to prefer the grassy hill-sides to the cultivated fields. This may probably be owing to their comparatively fewer numbers, as I have observed that many others of the feathered race are much shyer and more suspicious of man when few in number than those of the same species in places where they are more numerous. Their call is a kind of chuckling, often continued for some time, and by a great many birds at once. It is uttered indiscriminately at various intervals of the day, but most generally when breeding. The Chuckore feeds on grain, roots, and berries, when caught young it becomes quite tame, and will associate with domestic poultry. From the beginning of October Chuckore-shooting is, perhaps, the most pleasant of anything of the kind; in the hills about some of the higher villages ten or twelve brace may be bagged in a few hours."
From a writer in theBengal Sporting Magazinewe learn that "the male is very bold, and is tamed for the purpose of fighting. In a domesticated state he makes no hesitation in offering battle to every animal, and pecks very fiercely, always searching for a tender part; the nose of a dog or the naked feet of the native servants immediately attract his attention, and he soon makes the object of his attack fain to run."
"When reclaimed," says another contributor to the same periodical, "this bird is peculiarly bold, fearless, and entertaining. It trots about the house, and is as familiar as a little dog. It is amusing to see its antipathy to quick motions in others. It will follow a servant who hurries into a room, pecking at his heels, scouring away when he attempts to turn upon it. It is still more persevering against the poor wight who moves backwards and forwards as he pulls the punkah. Half asleep at his task, he is roused by a fierce attack on his legs. He attempts to continue his work, and at the same time to drive away the intruder; but it is of no use, and he is at last obliged to call for assistance to rid him of his persecutor."