A History of North American Birds, Land Birds. Volume 3

Mr. Dall found this Ptarmigan abundant in Alaska, from Fort Yukon to the sea. In winter they feed exclusively on willow buds, a double-handful having often been found in their crops. As soon as the ground was well covered with snow they appeared on the river in coveys among the willow-thickets. They were rather shy, and on an alarm flew immediately, but without noise. They made regular paths along the banks of the river among the willows, along which they always ran. The Indians took advantage of these to snare them, and caught them by hundreds. They were abundant in the fall and midwinter. In February they gathered in immense flocks, and disappeared, no one could tell where, returning about the middle of March as suddenly as they had gone away, remaining a few weeks, then resorting to the mountains and open country to breed. In 1867 they disappeared February 15 and returned April 1, leaving for the mountains May 3. The following year they left February 10, returned March 21, and left for the mountains April 28, going and coming in large flocks. They begin to moult about the middle of April, the feathers of the head, edges of wings, and upper tail-coverts, changing first. At this time the capillaries in the skin of the abdomen become engorged with serous fluid, and give to the bird a disgusting appearance. Mr. Dall obtained eggs in an open tundra near the mouth of the Yukon in the latter part of June. The female defended her nest bravely, and rather than desert her eggs allowed herself to be torn to pieces by a dog.

Mr. Bannister was also struck with the strong attachment shown to each other by both sexes during the breeding-season. He has known the male bird to sacrifice his own life, rather than desert his wounded mate. He mentions them as common at St. Michaels and the adjoining mainland during the greater part of the year, but especially abundant in the spring, when they are found singly or in pairs all over the country. In the fall and winter they kept more to the thickets of willows. The greater part of them were supposed to have gone into the wooded district of the interior for better shelter and more abundant food.

The eggs of this species vary considerably in length and breadth; they average about 1.85 inches in length and 1.20 in breadth, and are oval in shape, one end a little less obtuse than the other. They are all beautifully variegated and marked with bold confluent blotches of a dark claret color, upon a ground of a deep cream tinged with a reddish shading.

Lagopus mutus, var. rupestris, LeachROCK PTARMIGAN

Tetrao rupestris, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 751 (based on Rock Grouse of Pennant).—Latham, Ind. Orn. II, 1790, 312.—Sabine, Supplem. Parry’s First Voyage, page cxcv.—Richardson, Append. Parry’s Second Voyage, 348.—Aud. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 483, pl. ccclxviii. Lagopus rupestris, Leach, Zoöl. Misc. II, 290.—Bon. List, 1838.—Aud. Syn. 208.—Ib. Birds Amer. V, 1842, 122, pl. ccci.—Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 635.—Elliot, Monog. Tetraon. pl.—Gray, Cat. Brit. Mus. V, 1867, 92.—Dall & Bannister, Tr. Chicago Ac. I, 1869, 287. Tetrao (Lagopus) rupestris, Swains. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 354, pl. lxiv. Attagen rupestris, Reich. Av. Syst. Nat. 1851, page xxix. Rock Grouse, Pennant, Arctic Zoöl. II, 312. Lagopus islandorum, Fab. Prod. der Island. Orn. page 6.—Gray, Gen.—Ib. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. III, 47, 1844. Tetrao lagopus islandicus, Schleg. Rev. Crit. des Ois. d’Eur. p. 76. Tetrao islandicus, Brehm, Eur. Vog. II, 448. Lagopus reinhardti, Brehm. Lagopus groenlandicus, Brehm, Vögelfang, p. cclxiv, note. ? Tetrao lagopus, Sabine, E. Suppl. Parry’s First Voyage, p. cxcvii.—Sabine, J. Franklin’s Jour. 682.—Rich. App. Parry’s Second Voyage, 350. Tetrao (Lagopus) mutus, Rich. F. B. A. II, 1831, 350. Tetrao mutus, Aud. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 196. Lagopus mutus, Gray, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. 1867, 91 (Ft. Resolution and Ft. Simpson). Lagopus americanus, Aud. Syn. 1839, 207, B. Am. V, 1842, 119, pl. ccc.—Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 637.

Sp. Char. Bill slender; distance from the nasal groove to tip (.35) greater than height at base (.27). In summer the feathers of back black, banded distinctly with yellowish-brown and tipped with white. In winter white, the tail black; the male with a black bar from bill through eye. Size considerably less than that of L. albus. Length, about 14.50; wing, 7.50; tail, 4.50.

Female in summer (44,582, Barren Grounds, June 29, 1864; R. MacFarlane). Wings (except upper coverts) and legs white; tail (except intermediæ), black, narrowly tipped with white. Rest of plumage light ochraceous or buff, some feathers tipped with white, and all with broad transverse bars of black, this color prevailing on the dorsal region. On the lower surface the buff bars exceed the black ones in width. Wing, 7.20; tarsus, 1.15; middle toe, .90; bill, .35 by .27.

Hab. Arctic America.

The L. mutus of Europe appears to differ only in its summer and autumnal plumages from the present form, and is then only distinguished by the uniformly black feathers on the breast in the former, and the bluish cast in the latter stage. Those in the winter plumage that we have examined are absolutely identical in size, proportions, and color with the American birds.

Habits. According to Hutchins, this Ptarmigan is numerous at the two extremes of Hudson’s Bay, but does not appear at the middle settlements of York and Severn except in very severe seasons, when the Willow Grouse are scarce; and Captain Sabine informed Richardson that they abounded on Melville Island, latitude 75°, in the summer. They arrived there in their snow-white winter dress about the 12th of May. By the end of the month the females had begun to assume their colored plumage, which was completed by the first week in June, when the change in the plumage had only just commenced in the males. Some of the latter were found as late as the middle of June in their unaltered winter plumage. This Grouse was also found on the Melville peninsula and the Barren Grounds, rarely going farther south, even in the winter, than latitude 53° in the interior, but, on the coast of Hudson’s Bay, descending to latitude 58°, and in severe seasons still farther to the southward. In its general manners and mode of living it is said to resemble the albus, but does not retire so far into the wooded country in the winter. At that season it frequents the more open woods on the borders of lakes, especially in the 65th parallel, but the bulk of this species remains on the skirts of the Barren Grounds. They incubate in June.

Mr. MacFarlane found this species breeding about Fort Anderson, and on the Barren Grounds east of the Horton River. They nest, in a similar manner to L. albus, on the ground, placing the materials in a depression on the ground, and using hay, withered leaves, and a few feathers, and making a rather loose, ill-arranged nest. This is usually placed on an open common, sometimes near the banks of a small stream. They were more early in their breeding than the albus, as young Ptarmigans of a goodly size are mentioned as having been seen June 30. The eggs ranged from four to eight in number.

The female sits very close, and rather than leave will sometimes suffer herself to be taken by the hand. In one instance when a nest was approached, the female crouched as much as possible, in the hope that she might not be noticed, which would have happened had not one of the party observed her eye. Her summer plumage was almost exactly of the same color with the soil, and hardly distinguishable from it. The man was within three feet, and, making a swoop, caught her on the nest.

Excepting in 1862, Mr. MacFarlane did not meet with any of this species west of the Swan River, on his various journeys to Franklin Bay. Every season, almost immediately on leaving the woods fringing Swan River, birds began to be seen as far as and all along the Arctic coast. Although constantly found feeding in large numbers on the Barrens, it was always difficult to find their nests. They were most numerous between Horton River and Franklin Bay, and were frequently seen standing singly, or feeding on the ground, or an occasional pair might be seen, but it was seldom any number were observed in company.

Mr. Dall states that this species was not uncommon in the Romanzoff Mountains, northwest of Fort Yukon, but did not know of its being found farther south or west. It was obtained by S. Weston at Fort Yukon, and among the mountains by Mr. McDougal.

The eggs of this species closely resemble those of L. albus, but are somewhat smaller in size. They measure 1.63 inches in length by 1.18 in breadth, varying slightly in size. Their ground is a deep reddish cream-color, nearly covered by large blotches of a reddish-chestnut, giving a beautifully variegated effect to the whole.

Lagopus leucurus, Swainson & RichardsonWHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN

Tetrao (Lagopus) leucurus, Sw. & Rich. F. B. A. II, 1831, 356, pl. lxiii.—Nutt. Man. Orn. II, 1834, 612.—Ib. I, (2d ed.,) 1840, 820.—Dougl. Tr. Linn. Soc. XVI, 146. Tetrao leucurus, Aud. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 200, pl. ccccxviii. Lagopus leucurus, Aud. Syn. 1839.—Ib. B. Am. V, 1842, 125, pl. cccii.—Gray, Gen. III.—Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 637.—Bon. Comp. List. 441, No. 291.—Elliot, P. A. N. S. 1864.—Ib. Monog. Tetraon. pl.—Gray, Cat. Brit. Mus. V, 1867, 93.—Cooper, Orn. Cal. I, 1870, 542.

Sp. Char. Male? winter (4,578, Fort Halkett, Liard’s River). Entirely pure white, including the tail. Wing, 6.70; tarsus, 1.00; middle toe, 1.00; bill, .35 by .29.

Summer. Wings, tail, abdomen, crissum, and legs immaculate snowy-white. Ground-color of rest of plumage grayish-white on head and neck and ashy-buff on other portions, finely and rather sparsely sprinkled with black,—more in form of ragged transverse bars anteriorly and on sides. (♀, 16,002, Camp Skagitt, N. W. B., August 16; C. B. Kennerly.)

Hab. Alpine summits of the Western mountains, from lat. 39° in the Rocky Mountains north into British America, and west to the Cascades of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.

Habits. This species was first procured by Mr. Drummond, and described by Swainson in the “Fauna Borealis.” Five specimens were taken on the Rocky Mountains in the 54th parallel, and another, by Mr. MacPherson, on the same chain, nine degrees farther north. They were said to have all the habits of the other Ptarmigans, and to inhabit the snowy peaks near the mouth of the Columbia, as well as the lofty ridges of the Rocky Mountains.

We have but little reliable information in regard to the habits and distribution of this species. It seems to be confined entirely to the range of the Rocky Mountains, and to be found only among their highest points, occurring at least as far to the south as Cochetope Pass, in latitude 39°, and extending north to an undetermined extent. Specimens were procured in 1858 by Captain R. B. Marcy, on his march from Fort Bridger, in Utah, across the Rocky Mountains to Santa Fé. They were met with near the summit of the mountains not far from Cochetope Pass.

Mr. Charles E. Aiken writes me that he has been informed that this bird is common on Snowy Range, in Colorado Territory. He was informed by an old miner, who claimed to have met with these birds breeding near the top of the range in June, that their nest, composed of leaves and grass, is placed on the ground among bushes on hillsides; that the eggs are fourteen in number, of a light bluish-brown, marked and spotted with a darker shade of brown.

Mr. J. A. Allen (Am. Nat., June, 1872) mentions finding, among the snow-fields of the higher parts of the mountains of Colorado, this Grouse as one of the essentially Arctic species that were not met with below the region of snow. The Ptarmigans were quite common, and in the winter descend into the timbered land, where a great number are killed by the miners for food.

An egg, given to Mr. Allen as a genuine egg of this species, was taken on Mount Lincoln, Colorado, by Mr. Arthur Meade. It is of an oblong-oval shape, and measures, as well as its imperfect condition permitted its length to be estimated, about 1.80 inches by 1.20 in breadth. Its ground is a deep ochraceous cream-color, marked with small rounded spots of a deep chestnut. These are pretty uniformly sprinkled over the surface. Except in size, it bears a close resemblance to the eggs of the European Tetrao urogallus.

Family PERDICIDÆ.—The Partridges

Char. Nostrils protected by a naked scale. The tarsi bare and scutellate.

The Perdicidæ differ from the Grouse in the bare legs and naked nasal fossæ. They are much smaller in size and more abundant in species. They are widely distributed over the surface of the globe, a large number belonging to America, where the subfamilies have no Old World representatives whatever. The head seldom, if ever, shows the naked space around and above the eye, so common in the Tetraonidæ; and the sides of the toes scarcely exhibit the peculiar pectination formed by a succession of small scales or plates.

Subfamily ORTYGINÆ

Char. Bill stout, the lower mandible more or less bidentate on each side near the end.

The Ortyginæ of Bonaparte, or Odontophorinæ of other authors, are characterized as a group by the bidentation on either side of the edge of lower mandible, usually concealed in the closed mouth, and sometimes scarcely appreciable. The bill is short, and rather high at base; stouter and shorter than what is usually seen in Old World Partridges. The culmen is curved from the base; the tip of the bill broad, and overlapping the end of the lower mandible. The nasal groove is short. The tail is rather broad and long.

Synopsis of Genera found in the United States

a. Head without crest.

Ortyx. Tail not much more than half the wings; outstretched feet reaching beyond the tail.

b. Head with a crest of a few long narrow, keel-shaped feathers.

Oreortyx. Crest-feathers very long, linear; tail scarcely more than half the wings; bill stout; claws blunt, the lateral not reaching the base of the middle claw. Toes of the outstretched foot reaching beyond the tail.

Lophortyx. Crest-feathers widening much terminally, and recurved at the ends. Tail nearly or quite as long as wings. Bill rather small. Claws acute, the lateral reaching to the base of middle one. Toes not reaching the tip of tail.

c. Crest soft, full, and tufted; composed of short, broad, depressed feathers.

Callipepla. Crest springing from the crown. Wing-coverts normal. Tail stiffened, nearly as long as the wings. Claws small, acute; outstretched feet not reaching the tip of tail.

Cyrtonyx. Crest occipital. Wing-coverts greatly developed. Tail very small and soft; half as long as the wings. Toes short; claws very long, blunted; outstretched feet reaching much beyond the tip of the tail.

All the North American Quails, except Cyrtonyx massena, have the inner tertiaries edged internally with whitish or buff, forming a conspicuous line on each side of the rump when the wings are closed.

Genus ORTYX, Stephens

Ortyx, Stephens, Shaw’s Gen. Zoöl. XI, 1819. (Type, Tetrao virginianus, L.)

Gen. Char. Bill stout. Head entirely without any crest. Tail short, scarcely more than half the wing, composed of moderately soft feathers. Wings normal. Legs developed, the toes reaching considerably beyond the tip of the tail; the lateral toes short, equal, their claws falling decidedly short of the base of the middle claw.

The genus Ortyx embraces numerous species, more or less resembling the well-known Bob-white of the United States. They are chiefly confined to Mexico, Central America, and the West India Islands. North America and the West India Islands contain but one species, and this is so exceedingly variable in plumage that it is only at extreme points of its range that differences acquire sufficient constancy to be considered worthy of especial notice. The regions of its extremes of variation are the northeastern, southeastern, and southwestern limits of its range; the modifications attaining in Cuba and in Texas sufficient value to have been deemed of specific importance. But comparing even the three extremes of plumage, the differences are found to consist only in a varying amount of the several colors, specimens from intervening regions forming the connecting links.

22248 ½

Ortyx virginianus.

Species and Varieties

O. virginianus. Head longitudinally striped, with a dark superior and lateral stripe, a light superciliary stripe (continuing down the side of the neck), and a light gular patch; these stripes blackish and pure white in the male, and rusty and ochraceous in the female. Above mottled with rusty and grayish; the latter prevailing posteriorly, the former anteriorly. Upper part of the rump, scapulars, and upper wing-coverts more or less blotched with black. Beneath white, with transverse, somewhat V-shaped bars of black; sides striped with rufous; lower tail-coverts rufous, with black medial arrow-head, and both webs tipped with roundish spots of rusty white.

Black gular collar of the male .50, or less, in width.

Reddish tints prevailing; these nearly continuous on the upper parts, where the mottlings are minute. Distinct black blotches on the scapulars, tertials, and upper part of rump. Wing, 4.25 (Florida, Southern Illinois, Missouri, etc.) to 4.80 (northeastern United States). Hab. Eastern Province of the United States; Jamaica? … var. virginianus.

Grayish tints prevailing; no continuous color on the upper parts, where the mottlings are coarse and general. No distinct black blotches on the scapulars, etc. Gular black collar narrower. Wing, 4.10 to 4.50. Hab. Plains, from Texas to Kansas (where it grades into virginianus) … var. texanus.

Black gular collar much more than .50 in width.

Black markings predominating in the male. Female hardly distinguishable from that of var. texanus. Wing, 4.10. Hab. Cuba … var. cubanensis.115

PLATE LXIII.

1. Ortyx virginianus. ♂ Pa., 1715.

2. Ortyx virginianus. ♀ Pa., 1714.

3. Ortyx texanus. ♂ Texas, 4099.

4. Ortyx texanus. ♀ Texas, 9347.

5. Oreortyx pictus. ♂ Cal., 3935.

6. Callipepla squamata. ♂ New Mex., 9386.

Ortyx virginianus, var. virginianus, BonapQUAIL; PARTRIDGE; BOB-WHITE

Tetrao virginianus, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 277, 16 (female?).—Gmelin, I, 1788, 761. Perdix virginiana, Lath. Ind. Orn. II, 1790, 650.—Wilson, Am. Orn. VI, 1812, 21, pl. xlvii.—Doughty’s Cab. I, 1830, 37, pl. iv.—Aud. Orn. Biog. I, 1831, 388; V, 1839, 564, pl. lxxvi. Perdix (Ortyx) virginiana, Bonap. Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 203. Ortyx virginiana, Jardine, Nat. Library Birds, IV, Game Birds, 101, pl. x.—Bon. List, 1838.—Aud. Syn. 1839, 199.—Ib. Birds Amer. V, 1842, 59, pl. cclxxxix.—Gould, Mon. Odont. pl. i.—Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 640.—Newton, Ibis, I, 255 (Santa Cruz; introduced!).—Bryant, B. Pr. VII, 1859 (Bahamas; introduced!).—Sclater, P. Z. S. 1861, 80 (Jamaica).—March, P. A. N. S. 1863, 303 (Jamaica).—Max. Cab. J. VII, 1858, 444.—Gray, Cat. Brit. Mus. V, 1867, 75.—Fowler, Am. Nat. III, Dec. 1869, 535 (habits). Perdix (Colinia) virginiana, Nuttall, Man. I, 1832, 646. Tetrao marilandicus, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 277, 18.—Gmelin, I, 1788, 761, 17. Perdix marilandica, Latham, Ind. Orn. II, 1790, 650. Tetrao minor, Bartram, Travels, 1791, 290 bis. Perdix borealis, Vieillot, Nouv. Dict.—Ib. Galerie, II, 44, pl. ccxiv. Ortyx borealis, Steph., Shaw’s Zoöl. XI, 1819, 377. Virginia Partridge, Latham, Syn. II, ii, 777. Ortyx castaneus, Gould, P. Z. S. X, 182.—Ib. Mon. Odont. (A somewhat melanistic plumage, occasionally seen in specimens from Iowa, Illinois, etc. ?)

Sp. Char. Forehead, and line through the eye and along the side of the neck, with chin and throat, white. A band of black across the vertex, and extending backwards on the sides, within the white, and another from the maxilla beneath the eye, and crossing on the lower part of the throat. The under parts are white, tinged with brown anteriorly; each feather with several narrow, obtusely V-shaped bands of black. The forepart of back, the side of the breast, and in front just below the black collar, of a dull pinkish-red. The sides of body and wing-coverts brownish-red; the latter almost uniform, without indication of mottling. Scapulars and upper tertials coarsely blotched with black, and edged internally with brownish-yellow. Top of head reddish; the lower part of neck, except anteriorly, streaked with white and black. Primary quills unspotted brown. Tail ash. Female with the white markings of the head replaced by brownish-yellow; the black ones with brownish.

Young. Head ashy, with a narrow post-ocular white stripe, and the crown spotted with black; throat whitish. Beneath pale dingy-ashy, with whitish shaft-streaks, and without black bars or other markings. Above reddish or olivaceous drab, the feathers with whitish shaft-streaks, and a large black spot, mostly on upper web.

Chick. Head dingy buff; an auricular dusky elongated spot, and a vertical patch of chestnut-rufous, widening on the occiput.

Length, 10.00; wing, 4.70; tail, 2.85.

Hab. Eastern United States to the high Central Plains; Devil’s River, Texas?

Specimens from Missouri and Southern Illinois are intermediate between the typical virginianus of the Northeastern States and Florida examples,116 which approach in every respect, except the broad jugular collar, the var. cubanensis. The size is scarcely greater,—the range in Florida birds being wing 4.10 to 4.30, while the average of Missouri and Southern Illinois series is about 4.25; again, in northern and eastern specimens the wing is 4.70 to 4.80. In colors, Southern Illinois and Florida birds are also very similar; but in Florida there is less tendency to black blotches on scapulars, etc., while in specimens from the southern part of the peninsula the bill is appreciably larger. From the plains of Kansas specimens are intermediate between these Illinois birds and the var. texanus.

Ortyx virginianus.

A pair of Quails from Jamaica, probably derived from Continental parents, are less different from United States specimens than are those from Cuba or Texas. In size they are like the former, and have also an equally large bill; the male, however, is not darker beneath than Southern specimens of virginianus, while the female is absolutely undistinguishable in color from examples of that race from the Middle States.

Habits. The present species, known in New England and in certain other parts of the country as the Quail, and in the Middle and Southern States as the Partridge,—either of which names, belonging to other and quite different birds, is inappropriate,—is found throughout the eastern portion of North America from Florida to Maine, and from the Atlantic to Texas on the south and to the Central Plains. Partially successful attempts have been made to introduce it in Utah, and its area promises to extend much farther west than its original limits. This species has also been acclimated in Jamaica, and now abounds in all parts of that island. There they are said, by Mr. March, to make no nest, but to lay on the ground, in tufts of grassroots or under clumps of bushes, usually from twelve to twenty eggs. These are smaller than with us, measuring 1.25 inches by an inch. Mr. March adds that, during incubation, the male may usually be found sitting on a low branch in the vicinity of the nest, but does not assist in incubation.