ONTARIO. 



tipped and barred with white, tail white variegated at the base, the two 

 middle feathers like the back ; loral space and a band behind the eye 

 yellowish-white, a dusky streak under the eye ; throat reddish-white, with 

 dusky spots ; fore-parts and sides of the neck barred with reddish-white ; 

 on the breast the dusky spots become first curved, then arrow-shaped, and 

 so continue narrowing on the hind part of the breast and part of the sides of 

 which the upper portion is barred ; abdomen, lower tail-coverts and axillars, 

 white ; tarsal feathers light brownish-gray, faintly barred with whitish. 

 Female smaller, the tints of colors less bright. Length, 18-20 ; wing, 8-9 ; 

 middle feathers of the tail, 4-6 ; outer feathers, i|. 



Hab. British America, from the northern shore of Lake Superior and 

 British Columbia to Hudson's Bay Territory and Alaska. 



Nest in a tuft of grass on the prairie. 



Eggs, 5 to 12 ; grayish-olive or drab color, minutely dotted with brown 

 spots the size of a pin's head. 



Writing from the Northwest Prof. Macoun says of this 

 species : " Tliis is the Prairie Chicken of our western plains, 

 the true Prairie Chicken not being observed here." 



And Dr. Coues, writing in the same strain, says ; " This is 

 the Prairie Chicken of the whole Northwest, usually occurring 

 where the Pinnated Grouse does not, although the habitats of 

 the two species overlap to some extent." From the foregoing 

 it appears that while the present species occupied the North- 

 west, the Prairie Chicken flourished more in the south-east, but 

 that now both are being driven farther to the north-west, as the 

 prairies come under cultivation. 



The Sharp-tail is abundant near Winnipeg, from which 

 point it has reached the Hamilton market. It is also reported 

 by Mr. Bampton as being found at Sault St. Marie. 



k 



Family PHASIANID^. Pheasants, etc. 

 Subfamily MELEAGRIN^. Turkeys. 

 Genus MELEAGRIS Linn^us. 

 127 MELEAGRIS GALLOPAVO Linn. 130. 

 Wild Turkey. 



Naked skin of head and neck livid-b'ue ; general color copper-bronze 

 with copper and green reflection, each feather with a narrow black border ; 



' 129 



