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The L O N G-T A X L E D G R O U S from Hudfon's-Bay.
H I S Bird is of the Bignefs of a Pheafant, or rather of the black Game,
~(called the Heathcock or Grous with us) of which Genus it is a Species.
This I was informed was a Hen; the Cock, my Author tells me, is of a blacker
Colour, and gloffy on the Neck. There is the fame Difference between the
Cocks
and Hens in our Heath Game.
It bath the Bill like that of a domeffick Hen, of 'a black or dufky Colour;
the
Head and Neck are of a bright reddifh Brown, variegated with tranfverfe waved
duiky Lines. Above and beneath each Eye, and on the under Side of the Head
the
Feathers are of a light-brown, or whitifh: The Feathers on the Back, Wings
and
Tail are Black in their middle Parts, indented with a bright Brown on their
Sides,
and tranfverfly marked Black and Brown at their Tips, which forms a confufed
broken
Appearance of Black and Brown tranfverfly mixed all over the upper Side of
the Bird.
The Covert-Feathers within Side of the Wings are dufky and white, mixed in
tranf-
verfe Lines; the outward Coverts of the Wings, and the Quill-Feathers next
the Back,
have white Tips; the prime Quills have Spots of White along their outer Webs;
the inner Webs of the Quills are Afh-Colour, and without Spots. The Tail
bath
the two middle Feathers longer by near two Inches than thofe next them ;
they all
gradually fhorten toward the Side-Feathers. The three outermoft Feathers
on each
Side are White. The Breaft from Brown gradually becomes White; as does the
Belly,
Sides under the Wing, and Covert-Feathers under the Tail. The Breaff is fpotted
with half-Moon-like black Spots, but on the Belly the black Spots are fhaped
like
Hearts, and extend to the Coverts under the Tail. The Legs are cover'd with
fine
Feathers, that look like Hairs, of a whitifh-brown Colour, tranfverfly variegated
with
dufky Lines: The Toes and Claws are of a dufky blackifb Colour: Each Toe
is pedti-
nated on both Sides, as are the Toes in all this Tribe of Birds.
This Bird was brought by Mr. I/ham from Hudfon's-Bay, where it is called
a Phea-
fant; its long Tail and Colour agreeing very well with our Hen Pheafant,
and the
Male of this Bird may perhaps refemble the Cock Pheafant as nearly.  I fuppofe,
when living, it had a red Space above its Eyes in Form of Eye-brows, as all
of this
Genus have; but as I could not make them plain in the dried Bird, I have
omitted
them in my Figure and Defcription. I believe I may pronounce this Bird a
Non-
defcript. Dr. Michel, a Phyfician of Virginia, now in England, on feeing
my On-
ginal Draughts of this Bird, fays, they have the fame in the Woods and unfrequented
Parts of Virginia, and that the Cock is a Rately Bird, walking very ereLt.