234 TETRAONIDA, GROUSE, PARTRIDGES. —GEN. 181. 
Northern Sharp-tailed Grouse. The markings black, white and dark 
brown, with little or no tawny ; spots on the under parts numerous, blackish, 
V-shaped; throat white, speckled. Arctic America; not S. to the U.S. 
Tetrao phasianellus Linn., Syst. Nat. i, 160; Exxror, Proc. Phila. Acad. 
1862, 403. P. kennicottii Suckuery, ibid. 1861, 361. . PHASIANELLUS. 
Var. cotumBianus. Common Sharp-tailed Grouse. The markings black, white, 
and especially tawny; below, the spots fewer, brown, U-shaped; throat buff. 
T. phasianellus Nutr., 1, 669; Avp., v, 110, pl. 298. Bp., 626. P. columbianus 
Extror, J. c.; Coop., 532. This is the ordinary U.S. bird, abundant on the prairies 
from Wisconsin and Kansas westward. It is accurately discriminated from the 
dark northern form by Dr. Suckley and Mr. Elliot, who, however, incorrectly 
suppose that the two forms are distinct species; they are geographical races 
differing from each other according to well known laws of climatic variation. 
181. Genus CUPIDONIA Reichenbach. 
Pinnated Grouse. Prairie Hen. Neck with a peculiar tuft of loose, 
lengthened, acuminate feathers, beneath which is a patch of bare, brightly 
colored skin, capable of great distension; tail short, rounded, of eighteen 
stiffish, not acuminate, feathers; tarsi barely feathered to the toes. Length 
16-18; wing 8-9; tail about 5. Above, variegated with black, brown, 
tawny or ochrey, and white, the latter especially on the wings; below, 
pretty regularly barred with dark brown, white and tawny; throat tawny, 
a little speckled, or not; vent and crissum mostly white ; quills fuscous, with 
white spots on the outer webs; tail fuscous, with narrow or imperfect white 
or tawny bars and tips; sexes alike in color, but 9 smaller, with shorter 
Fic. 148, Foot of Prairie Hen. 
neck-tufts. This well known bird formerly ranged across the United States, 
in open country, from the Atlantic to the Eastern foothills of the Rocky 
Mountains, and now abounds on the prairies, from Illinois and Wisconsin, 
to Middle Kansas at least, if not found on the dryer plains westward. It 
has been almost extirpated in the Middle and Eastern States, though 
it still occurs sparingly in isolated localities in New York, New Jersey, 
Pennsylvania, Long Island, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, etc. Its 
abundance, and the excellence of its flesh, render it an object of commercial 
importance. Though there may be little probability of its extinction, legis- 
lation against its wanton or ill-timed destruction would be a measure of 
obvious propriety. Whus., iii, 104, pl. 27; Nurv., i, 662; Aun., v, 93, 
ple 296 3 BD O28 05. oie vy os tele ee ee eh ees Pee TIIOE 
