Columbian Sharp- tailed Grouse 151 



The female resembles the male, but is smaller — wing 8-5 — and has 

 quite inconspicuous neck-tufts. Young birds have the feathers of 

 the upper-parts with rather conspicuous white mesial streaks. 



Distribution. — The Mississippi Valley from Louisiana and Texas north 

 to Manitoba and west to the borders of Colorado, east to Indiana and 

 Kentucky ; migratory over the northern part of its range. 



Like the Baltimore Oriole, the Cardinal and the Blue Jay, the Prairie 

 Chicken is gradually extending its range westwards with the opening 

 up and settlement of the western prairies and the cultivation of the 

 ground. Though included by Drew and Morrison in their Colorado 

 lists, the first definite recorded instance of its occurrence seems to be 

 that of J. S. Robertson of Barton, just two miles within the Colorado 

 border line in the extreme north-east of the State, who had seen them 

 twice on his farm in 1897 ; later on, in 1900, Otto Derr wrote to Cooke 

 that at Wray the Prairie Hen is a not uncommon breeder. Horsey 

 and Rockwell state that in 1907 a pair nested fourteen miles north- 

 east of Denver, near Barr, and in the following year two pairs raised 

 eighteen young. 



It may be considered an uncommon resident in the north-eastern 

 part of the State. 



Genus PEDIOC^TES. 



Head slightly crested ; a naked jjatch over the eye bearing numerous 

 yellow papillae ; no tufts or ruffs, but a semi-concealed bare patch 

 on the neck forming a rudimentary tympanum ; tail short, less than 

 half the wing, of eighteen feathers strongly graduated, the centra] pair 

 narrow, square-tipped and projecting about an inch beyond the others ; 

 feathering on the tarsus extending about half way down the toes, 

 confined to the front and sides ; tees with a lateral fringe of horny 

 processes. 



One species only, with two additional local races confined to North 

 America. 



Key or the Species. 



A. More rusty and tawny in tone. P. p. campestris, p. 152. 



B. More buffy and greyish in tone. P. p. columbianus, p. 151. 



Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse. 

 PedioccBtes phasianellus columbianus. 



A.O.U. CheckUst no 308a— Colorado Record— Gary 09, p. 181. 

 Description. — Hardly differing from P. jO. campestris, but with the 

 ground-colour buffy-greyish or pale greyish with little if any rusty tinge. 



