res upon
which it preys. So _you_ have killed both the tyrant and his victims.
They are not partridges though, but grouse--that species known as
`willow-grouse' (_Tetrao saliceti_)."

And as Lucien said this, he began to handle the birds, which were of a
beautiful white all over, with the exception of the tail-feathers.
These last were pitch-black.

"Ho!" exclaimed Lucien, in some surprise, "you have two kinds here!
Were they all together when you shot them?"

"No," answered Francois; "one I shot along with the hawk out in the open
ground. All the others I killed upon a tree in a piece of woods that I
fell in with. There's no difference between them that I can see."

"But I can," said Lucien, "although I acknowledge they all look very
much alike. Both are feathered to the toes--both have the black
feathers in the tail--and the bills of both are black; but if you
observe closely, this kind--the willow-grouse--has the bill much
stronger and less flattened. Besides, it is a larger bird than the
other, which is the `rock-grouse' (_Tetrao rupestris_). Both are
sometimes, though erroneously, called `ptarmigan;' but they are not the
true ptarmigan (_Tetrao mutus_)--such as exist in North Europe--though
these last are also to be met with in the Northern parts of America.
The ptarmigan are somewhat larger than either of these kinds, but in
other respects differ but little from them.

"The habits of the `rock' and `willow' grouse are very similar. They
are both birds of the snowy regions, and are found as far north as has
been explored. The willow-grouse in winter keep more among the trees,
and are oftener met with in wooded countries; whereas the others like
best to live in the open ground, and, from your statement, it appears
you found each kind in its favourite haunt."

"Just so," said Francois. "After leaving here, I kept down the valley,
and was just crossing an open piece of high ground, when I espied the
white hawk, or falcon as you call it, hovering in the air as I'd often
seen hawks do. Well, I stopped and hid behind a rock, thinking I might
have a chance to put a few drops into him. All at once he appeared to
stand still in the air, and, then closing his wings, shot down like an
arrow. Just then I heard a loud `_whur-r-r_,' and up started a whole
covey of white partridges--grouse, I should say--the same as this you
call the `rock-grouse.' I saw that the hawk had missed the whole of
them, and I marked