Page:Ornithological biography, or an account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America, vol 2.djvu/478

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442
SPOTTED OR CANADA GROUS.


Lower parts black, the feathers on the throat having a white spot near the end, those of the lower and lateral parts of the neck unspotted, of the breast with a broad subterminal spot, and the under tail-coverts largely tipped with white. Inner wing-coverts clove-brown, the proximal and axillaries tipped with white.

Length 15| inches, extent of wings 21 1 ; bill along the back /j, along the edge 1^% ; tarsus li ; weight 17 oz.

Adult Female. CLXXVI. Fig. 2, 2.

The Female is not much smaller. The superciliary membrane is much less, but of the same colour. The upper parts are nearly of the same tints, but more broadly barred ; the head, sides of the neck, fore neck, and anterior part of the breast yellowish-red, barred with brownish- black ; the lower parts greyish-black, barred with reddish-white. The tail is minutely mottled and tipped with brownish-red. The younger fe- males have more of the yeUowish-red tints than the old ones. In other respects the colouring is nearly similar.

Length 15^ inches, extent of wings 21 ; weight 150^.

Thillium pictum, Pursh, Flora Amer. Sept. vol. i.p. 244. — Hexandria Trigynia, Linn.

This plant, as well as the other species represented, grows abundantly in Maine, in all such secluded places as are frequented by the Spotted Grous, which eagerly devours its berries. It has ovate acuminate leaves of a light green colour, thin and undulated ; an erect peduncle ; white flowers, veined with purple at the bottom, and having the petals lanceo- late, recurved, nearly twice the length of the calyx. The berries are ovate and of a scarlet colour.

STREPTOP0S DisTORTUS, MicTi.YloT. Amer. vol. L p. 200. Pursh, Flor. Amer. Sept. vol. L p. 232. — Hexandria Monogynia, Linn.

About two feet high, with alternate, amplexicaul, ovate, acute, ribbed, light green leaves ; greenish-yellow flowers, on pedicels which are distorted in the middle ; and oval scarlet berries.