58 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 



gans, which are classed in the genus Lagopus, resemble 

 the preceding, except that the toes are feathered and 

 that the phimage turns white in winter. The Cupido7iia, 

 to which the prairie chicken belongs, has a tail that is 

 shorter than the wing, and is composed of eighteen 

 broad, flat feathers. The sides of the neck have tufts 

 or little wings of long, narrow feathers, beneath which 

 is a strongly marked piece of naked skin that is capa- 

 ble of distension. The tarsi are barely feathered to the 

 toes, and the markings of the under parts run crosswise. 

 In the Bonasa, the tail, which is composed of eigh- 

 teen broad, rounded feathers, is as long as the wing; the 

 tarsi are naked below; there is no evident naked space on 

 the neck, but on each side are numerous broad, soft 

 feathers, which form tufts. The Pediocetes, or sharp- 

 tailed grouse, have a wedge-shaped tail of eighteen 

 narrow feathers, of which the two in the middle are 

 an inch or more longer than the others. The more 

 northern birds have the tarsi and toes feathered, but 

 in the southern variety the feathering does not extend 

 further than the roots of the toes. The neck is devoid 

 of peculiar feathers, and the markings of the under parts 

 run lengthwise, instead of crosswise — as in the prairie 

 chicken — so that both species can be readily distinguished 

 apart. The Centrocercus, which is represented by the 

 sage-cock, has a tail that equals or exceeds the wing in 

 length. This is wedge-shaped, and composed of twenty 

 narrow, stiff feathers, about a foot long. The tarsi are 

 feathered; the toes are naked; the neck has a large 

 naked space, a patch of scale-like feathers, and many 

 bristly filaments. This species can be readily identified 

 anywhere by its size and plumage and its peculiar mark- 

 ings. 



The following diagram will give an idea of the distinc- 

 tions between each genus: 



