124 GAME BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 
and in the open country, and from the striking con- 
trast between the black and white of its plumage pre- 
sents a very handsome appearance. The legs are very 
heavily feathered and the feet also, the toes being com- 
pletely covered to the claws, thus affording ample pro- 
tection to the bird against the intense cold of the Arctic 
regions in which it lives. 
setween the typical style of the Sharp-tailed Grouse 
and that of the Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse there is 
exhibited in the birds living on our Northern borders and 
some distance beyond, every gradation between the dark 
Arctic birds and the light-colored ones of the United 
States, so that it is impossible to fix any precise limit to 
the habitat of either form. It can only be stated that, 
as the United States form goes northward it gradually, 
by successive degrees, darkens into the typical Grouse 
of the Arctic regions, having no especial locality where 
the divergence commences. In size it is about the same 
as the Columbian Grouse, and doubtless its flesh is 
equally palatable. 
PEDIG@CETES PHASIANELLUS. 
Geographical Distrzibution.—British America from Lake 
Superior and Hudson Bay to Fort Simpson. 
Adult Male.—Top of head, neck, and entire upper parts, black, 
barred and mottled everywhere except on top of head, with buff, 
the bars narrow, thus making the prevailing color black, instead 
of brown or buff; the bars are pale buff on rump and upper tail- 
coverts, giving these a lighter appearance than the rest of the 
upper parts; wings, like the back, with broad, central white 
streaks on the scapulars, and white spots on the coverts and 
white bars and tips to the secondaries; primaries, dark chocolate 
brown, with equidistant white spots on outer webs; under parts, 
white, spotted with black on the throat and front of neck, and 
broad V-shaped blackish brown marks near the center of the 
