58 PACIF'IC COAST AVIFAUNA No. 14 



concerned. 1 am of the opinion that togata only should be listed from the state, 

 and that those birds showing the characters of umbelloides shovild be considered 

 individual variants. Until more extensive collecting has been done, this appears 

 to be the best solution of tlie pi-oblem. 



!)!). Lagopus lagopus lagopus (Linnaeus) 



WlLLdW 1't.\rmigan 



Thi-cc liirds of this species were taken in the Glacier National Park in the 

 winter of l!)l;J-14 (Stanford, 1914, p. 399). These are now mounted and dis- 

 played in the lobl)y of the Glacier Park Hotel. 



100. Lagopus leucurus leucurus (Swainson) 



White-tailed Ptarmig.\n 



Resident of the high mountains of the nortliwestern part of the state, south 

 to northern Lewis and Clark County along the continental divide. Found in 

 several ranges west of the divide, but just where the southern limit occurs in 

 these ranges is not determined. Records: Bitterroot Mountains and St. Mary's 

 Lake (Bendire, 1892, p. 83) ; Teton and northern Lewis and Clark counties 

 (Saunders, 1914a, p. 131) ; Glacier National Park, found about Sperry Glacier 

 and other high points. There are no d^ta on the nesting of this species in the 

 state, but broods of half grown young may be seen in Glacier Pai'k early in 

 August. One was taken in the Beartooth Mountains of Carbon County by 

 sportsmen (Thomas, MS). 



101. Tympanuchus americanus americanus (Reiehenbach) 



Prairie Chicken 



One bird taken by John R. ISane on the Hervey Bench, southwest of Hunt- 

 le.y, in the fall of 1917 (Thomas, JIS). At present the only record for the state. 



102. Pedioecetes phasianellus columbianus (Ord) 



Columbian Siiarp-taUjEd Grouse 



A fairly common permanent resident of the mountain valleys in the western 

 half of the state, intergrading eastward with campestn's. The line between the 

 ranges of this and the next subspecies is not very well worked out, but it is proba- 

 ble that west of the divide all birds belong to columbianus. Those from mountain 

 valleys east of the divide have proven mostly intergi'ades, while those of the 

 prairies are probably campestris, though some specimens, from as far east as 

 tlie Dakota border show the characters of the western race. 



Tliis bird was formerly very eomuion. but is becoming rarer each year, 

 thoniili, except in the vicinity of the larger cities, it still occurs in considerable 

 numbers. It is confined to open grass lands and grain fields of the valleys though 

 occasionally found among cottonwoods and willows or pine bills in winter. It 

 is not found in tlie mountains, nor anvwliei-e hitrher than the Transition zone. 



