The Naturalist in Vancouver Island and British Columbia (Volume 1)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1866. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XII. SHARP-TAILED GROUSE--BALD-HEADED EAGLE--MOSQTJITOS--LAGOMYS MINIMUS (NOV. SP.)--HUMMINGBIRDS--UROTRICHUS. The Sharp-tailed Grouse (Pedioccetes Phasianellus, Baird; Tetrao Phasianellus, Linn.; Centrocercus Phasianellus, Jardine; Phasianus Columlianus, Ord.)--Specific characters: The tail consists of eighteen feathers--prevailing colours black, white, and umber-yellow; the back marked with transverse bars, the wings with round conspicuous white spots--under pure white; the breast and sides thickly marked with Y-shaped blotches of dark-brown; length about 18-00; wing, 8'50; tail, 5-23 inches. This beautiful bird is alike estimable, whether we consider him in reference to his field qualities (therein being all a grouse ought to be, rising with a loud rattling whirr, and going off straight as an arrow, lying well to dogs, and frequenting open grassy prairies), or viewed as a table dainty, when bowled over and grilled. Though his flesh is brown, yet for delicacy of flavour--game in every sense of the word--I'll back him against any other bird in the Western wilds. This grouse appears to replace the Prairie-hen (Cupidonia cupido) on all the prairies west of the Kocky Mountains. By the fur-traders it is called the 'spotted chicken'; for all grouse, by the traders and half-breeds, are called chickens! and designated specifically by either habit or colour--such as blue chickens, wood chickens, white chickens (ptarmigan), &c. &c.; the skis-kin of the Eootanie Indians. The tail is cuneate and graduated, and about two-thirds the length of the wing; the central pair, considerably longer than the rest, terminate in a point--hence the name sharp-tailed. The singular mixture of colours (white, black, and brownish-yellow), the dark blotches, transverse bars, a...