grouse (grous)

[Formerly also growse (18th century), grou (1668), grows (1531); po ibly a false sing., evolved (after the a umed anal ogy of louse, mouse, sing. of lice, mice ) from the prob. older though later-appearing word grice, a grouse, appar. a particular use of grices, grice, grise (also spelled gryce ), gray, after OF. "poule griesche, a moorehenne, the henne of the Grice [ griece, ed. 1673] or moore game" (Cotgrave); cf. OF. " griesche, gray, as a stare; perdrix griesche, the ordinary or gray partridge, pie griesche, the war i angle (a ravenous bird)" (Cotgrave), F. pie - grièche, a shrike. The OF. griesche, gray, is appar. a var. (fem.) of gris, fem. grise (ML. grise us ), gray: see grise4.] 1. The Scotch ptarmigan, moorhen, or red-game, Tetrao or Lagopus scoticus, a British gallinaceous Scotch Ptarmigan or Grouse ( Lagopus scoticus). bird with feathered feet. It is a local modification or insular race of the common ptarmigan of Europe. Hence-2. Some bird like the above; any bird of the family Tetra on ide and subfamily Tetra on in a. These birds all have the feet and nasal fo æ more or le completely feathered, being thus distinguished from pheasants, partridges, quails, etc. There are numerous species, of several genera, all confined to the northern hemisphere. The largest is the European wood-grouse or cock-of-the-woods, Tetrao urogallus. (See capercaillie.) The next in size is the American sage-grouse or cock-of-the-plains, Centrocercus urophasianus. The black grouse is Lyrurus tetrix of Europe. The ruffed grouse are several species of Bonasa, as the European hazel-grouse, B. betulina, and the American, B. umbella. Notable American forms are the sharp-tailed grouse, Pe dræcetes phasianellus, and the pinnated grouse, Cupid on i a cupido; both are known as prairie - hens. The snow-grouse are sundry species of ptarmigan inhabiting boreal and alpine regions, and mostly turning pure white in winter; such are the willow-ptarmigan, Lagopus alb us, the rock-ptarmigan, L. rupestris, and the Rocky Mountain ptarmigan, L. leucurus. 3. In the widest sense, as a collective plural, the grouse family, Tetraonida. In this sense the word includes various partridges and related birds. - Canada grouse, Canace or Dendraga pus can a dens is. Also called spruce-grouse, black grouse, spotted grouse, wood - grouse, wood - partridge, swamp - par tridge, cedar - partridge, spruce - partridge, heath -hen, and formerly black and spotted heath-cock ( Edwards, 1758). See cut under Canace. - Dusky grouse, the most common name of Canace or Dendragapus obscurus, a large dark slate-colored arboreal grouse of mountainous parts IMG:content-2729.jpg:[merged small][merged small][graphic][merged small] tailed grouse. It is the largest of the American tetraonines excepting the sage-cock, the male attaining a length of 2 feet and an extent of wings of 30 inches. It is chiefly found in the coniferous belt.-Pinnated grouse, the prairie-hen, Cupid on i a cupido or Tympanuchus america nus: so called from the winglets on each side of the neck See prairie -hen, and cut under Cupid on i a. - Ruffed grouse, Bonasa umbella. Also called ruffed heath-cock ( Edwards, 1758), brown, gray, or red ruffed grouse, drumming grouse or partridge, tippet -grouse, shoulder -knot grouse, birch - partridge; also simply partridge in the northern and middle portions of its range, and universally pheasant from Pennsylvania southward. See cut under Bonasa. - Sage-grouse, the sage-cock or cock-of the-plains, Cantrocercus urophasianus: so called because characteristic of the sage-brush regions of western North America. See cut under Centrocercus.- Sharp-tailed grouse, any grouse of the genus Pediœcetes. grouse (grous), v. i.; pret. and pp. groused, ppr. grousing. [grouse, n.] To hunt or shoot grouse. [Rare.]