Page:Ornithological biography, or an account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America, vol 2.djvu/538

502 on the flesh of these birds by epicures. All that I shall say is, that I never thought much of it, and would at any time prefer a piece of buf- falo or bear flesh ; so that I have no reason to regret my inability to pur- chase Prairie Hens for eating at five dollars the pair.

Tetrao Cupibo, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 274 — Lath. Ind. Ornilh. voL ii. p. 638.

Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 126.

Pinnated Grous, Tetrao Cupido, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. iii. p. 104. pi. 27- fig. 1. Male Nutlall, Manual, part i. p.

Adult Male. Plate CLXXXVI. Fig. 1, 2.

Bill short, robust ; upper mandible with the dorsal outline curved, the edges overlapping, the tip declinate and rounded ; lower mandible con- vex, broad, with the tip rounded. Nostrils basal, roundish, concealed by the feathers. Head small, neck rather long, body bulky. Feet of ordi- nary length ; tarsus short, feathered ; toes covered above with numerous short scuteUa, marginated and pectinated ; hind toe extremely short, two lateral equal, middle toe much longer ; claws of ordinary length, strong, arched, rather obtuse, concave beneath.

Plumage compact, the feathers generally broad and rounded ; those of the head and neck narrow, and proportionally shorter, excepting those of the crown, which are elongated. Two tufts of lanceolate, elongated feathers on the sides of the neck, under which is an oblong bare space on either side capable of being inflated. Lower tibial and tarsal feathers short, soft and blended. Wings short and curved, the primaries strong and narrow ; fourth longest, third and fifth nearly equal, second longer than sixth, first much shorter. Tail very short, much rounded, sloping on both sides, of eighteen broad rounded feathers.

Bill dusky, paler beneath. Iris brown. Toes dull yellow, claws greyish-brown, the general colour of the upper parts is blackish-brown, transversely marked with broad undulating bands of light yellowish-red, the wing-coverts and secondaries of a lighter brown tinged with grey, and barred with paler red, the latter only on the outer webs; primary quills greyish-brown, with black shafts, and spots of pale reddish on the outer webs, excepting towards the end.. Tail dark greyish-brown, narrowly tipped with dull white, the two middle feathers mottled with brownish-red. Space from the bill to the eye, a band from the lower mandible over the cheek and the throat, pale yellowish-red or cream-colour; a band of