532 



SCRATCHING BIRDS — GALLING. 



Pedioecetes Columbianus, Ord. 



THE SHARP-TAILED GEOTJSE, OK PEAIKIE CHICKEN. 



Phasianus Colunchiamis, Ord, Giilh. Geog. 2d Am. eel. II. ISI.'i, 317. — Palirecetes Cohim- 

 biams, (Oed) Elliot, I'r. A. N. Sc. Phil. XIV. 1S62, 40.3. In. Mon. Tutraonidx, 

 plate. 

 Tctnio fjhasiancilus, Ori>, same place, and of all other authors since 1800, except Bonaparte, 

 Amcr. Orn. III. (tc.Kt only), which is true phaslandlus, Linna;us (Klliot). Fij,'ures (all 

 of Columbianus), Bonaparte, An)er. Orn. III. jjl. xi.\. (supposed female). — Audubon, 

 Orn. Biog. IV. pi. 3S2, p. 569. lis: Birds Amer. V. 110 ; pi. 298. In. Synop.>;is, 205.— 

 NuTTALL, Man. I. G69. — Newberry, P. R. Rep. VI. iv. 1S57, 94. — Swainson and 

 Rich. F. Bor. Am. II. 361. — Pcdircales phasianeHus, Baird, P. R. Rep. IX. Birds, 

 1858, 626.— CoorER and Suckley, XII. iii. Zool. of W. T. 223. 



Sp. CiiAn. General color white anil brownish-yellow with irregular black markings, 

 lioneatli pure white, the feathers on the breast and flanks with brown ^'-shIl|)eJ markings. 

 Throat buff. (Elliot.) Length, 18.00 ; e.\tent, 28.00 ; wing, 8.30; tail, 5.24. 



Hah. N'orthern prairies and plains from Wisconsin, west to Cascade Mountains and 

 Sierra Nevada. 



Though -well kno\Mi as a game-bird, and a delicate luxury for the table, 

 ill the Upper ^Mississipjii Valley (where it is confounded hy sportsmen gen- 

 erally with the pinnated grouse, Cupidonia nipido), this prairie-chicken has 

 not yet been enrolled among the game-birds of California, on account of the 

 remote and thinly inhabited part of the State which it inlialiits. It is 



