No. 39.] BIRD NAMES. 139 



and Sprig-tail) : PIN-TAIL CHICKEN : SPOTTED CHICKEN. In por- 

 tions of our Northwest where the pinnated grouse (No. 38) are 

 not found, this bird is the PRAIRIE CHICKEN; and Dr. Coues 

 terras it PRAIRIE CHICKEN OF THE NORTHWEST. PopuL^rly 

 known also as WHITE-BELLY, and in some localities as WHITE 

 GROUSE, the latter name immediately suggesting the ptarmigans 

 (those grouse that turn white in winter), but to {people familiar 

 with our live sharp-tails, the word •' white " seems rather ap- 

 propriately applied, as the birds display so much of their white 

 while flying. Mr. T. S. Van Dyke writes in a reminiscence of 

 Minnesota shooting (Forest and Stream, Nov. 27, 1884) : " Gen- 

 erally called the white grouse." 



At Clarks (Merrick Co.), Nebraska, GROUSE (so termed, at 

 least, in 1883), the pinnated species (No. 38) being the " prairie 

 chicken." While shooting in the latter locality I was led to the 

 conclusion that sharp-tails are rather more migratory than is 

 generally believed. About November 10, 1883, during a cold 

 storm, large numbers of these birds came upon us very suddenly. 

 Not one had previously been seen, though several hunters, my- 

 self among them, had for a month or more been scouring the 

 prairies almost daily. 



Our United States sharp-tails have long been distinguished 

 from the more northern and darker-colored variety Pedlocfptes 

 jyhasianelliis,'^ by the names COLUMBIAN SHARP -TAILED 

 GROUSE, COMMON SHARP -TAILED GROUSE, and SOUTHERN 

 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE; and Mr. Henshaw, in an article headed 

 "Prairie Chickens in Nevada," Forest and Stream, April 11, 

 1878, gives SOUTHERN SPIKE-TAILED GROUSE. 



The " common " or English name designed expressly for 

 r.amx>e8tris is PRAIRIE SHARP-TAILED GROUSE; this has cer- 

 tainly never been applied to any other sharp-tail ; is, in other 

 words, brand new. 



* The rauge of this Northern Sharp-tailed Grouse (the " Long-tailed Grouse " 

 of Edwards, 1750) is given by Mr. Ridgway as "Interior of British America, 

 north to Fort Simpson, Fort Resolution, and Great Slave Lake, south to Moose 

 Factory, Temiscamingue, Lake Winnipeg, and northern shore of Lake Supe- 

 rior." 



