THE 



WILSON BULLETIN 



NO. 102 

 A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY 



VOL. XXX MARCH, 1918 NO. 1 



OLD SERIES VOL. XXX. NEW SERIES VOL. XXV. 



A STRANGE CASE OF HYBRIDISM. 



BY F. C. LINCOLN. 



Among certain families the inter-breeding of species or 

 even genera, is not of rare occurrence; hybrid juncos, ducks, 

 etc., having been taken in numbers ; but among the GalHnae 

 (exchisive, of course, of domestic fowls and pheasants) such 

 instances are decidedly uncommon if not rare. 



The accompanying illustration portrays an example of this 

 character, a cross between a Prairie Chicken {Tympanuclms 

 americamis) and a Prairie Sharp-tailed Grouse (Pedioecetes 

 p. campcstris) the result, in all probabilities, oi the somewhat 

 peculiar conditions existing in Colorado. 



The two forms came into Colorado from the east, coinci- 

 dent with agricultural activities, and are found during the 

 winter months associated in the same flocks, though the bulk 

 of "numbers is generally in favor of Tympanuchus. 



It will be noted that the elements of Tympanuchus have 

 predominated, giving the breast the wide bars characteristic 

 of this genera; although curved and broken sufficiently to 

 exhibit the influence of Pedioecetes. These markings also 

 become smaller and still more broken on the belly, another 

 character found in Sharp-tails. The tail, though with' much 

 of the Prairie Chicken character in form, still has the large 

 white areas peculiar to Pedioecetes. and even has the two 

 central feathers decidedly elongated. And last but by no 

 means least, is the suggestion of the pinnated feathers of Tym- 



