RUFFED grouse; PARTRIDGE; PHEASANT. 179 



sno^v. The Ptarmigans were quite common, and in the 

 winter descend into the timbered land, where a great num- 

 ber are killed by the miners for food. 



An egg given to Mr. Allen as a genuine egg of this spe- 

 cies, was taken on Mount Lincoln, Colorado, by Mr. Arthur 

 Meade. It is of an oblong-oval shape, and measures, as 

 well as its imperfect condition permitted its length to be 

 estimated, about 1.80 inches by 1.20 in breadth. Its ground 

 is a deep ochraceous cream color, marked with small 

 rounded spots of a deep chestnut. These are pi'etty uni- 

 formly sprinkled over the surface. Except in size, it bears 

 a close resemblance to the egg of the European Tetrao 

 tirogaUus. — JBaird, Brewer and Bidgway. 



RUFFED GEOUSE; PARTRIDGE; PHEASANT. 



Bonasa Umbellus, Var, Umbellus. — Stephens. 



EN. CHAR. — Tail widening to the end, its feathers 

 very bi"oad, as long as the wings; the feathers soft, 

 and eighteen in number. Tarsi naked in the lower 

 '-^i' half; covered with two rows of hexagonal scales 

 anteriorly, as in the {Ortijglnce.) Sides of toes strongly pec- 

 tinated. Naked space on the side of throat covered by a 

 tuft of broad soft feathers. Poi'tion of culman between 

 the nasal fossa? about one-third the total length. Toj) of 

 head with a soft crest. 



" This genus, in its partly naked tarsi, with two rows of 

 scutellffi anteriorly, indicates a close apprt)ach to the Amer- 

 ican Partridges, or Quails. It has a single European rep- 

 i-esentative, the B. si/lvcstris.'' — Stejyh. 



B. Umbellus. — Rump with cordate light spots; sides with 

 transvei'se dark spots. Tail wnth two gray bands (one 

 terminal), with a broad blackish zone between them. Cer- 

 vical tufts glossy black or dark brown, with a semi-metal- 

 lic steel-blue or green border. Prevailing color bright 

 ochraceous-rufous ; tail always rufous in the Middle and 



