NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS EGGS. 



145 



308. Sharp-tailed Grouse. Pedioecetee phasianellua, 



Range. Interior of British America, from the United States boundary 

 northwest to the Yukon. 



Sharp-tailed Grouse are similar in form to the Prairie Hen, but are somewhat 

 smaller and very much lighter in color, being 

 nearly white below, with arrowhead markings 

 on the breast and flanks. This species is very 

 abundant in Manitoba and especially so on the 

 plains west of Hudson Bay. Their nests are 

 generally concealed under a thicket or a large 

 tuft of grass, and are lined with grasses and 

 feathers. They lay from six to fifteen eggs of a 

 drab color, very minutely specked all over with 

 brown. Size 1.70 x 1.25. Data. Quill Lake, 

 Saskatchewan, N. W. T. Nest a depression on 

 the ground, lined with grass and feathers. Col- 

 lector, Chris Forge. [Buffydrab.l 



308a. Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse. Pcdioccetes phasianellus colum biuim*. 



Range. Northwestern United States and British Columbia to central Alaska. 

 Both the nesting habits and eggs of this variety are the same as the last, with 

 which species, the birds gradually intergrade as their ranges approach* 



308b. Prairie Sharp-tailed Grouse. Pedioecetes phasianellus camin-*ti !*. 



Range. Plains of the United States from the Mississippi to the Rockies. 

 This sub-species shades directly into the two preceding where their ranges meet, 

 and only birds from the extreme parts of the range of each show any marked 

 differences. The nesting habits and eggs of all three are not to be distinguished. 



309. Sage Grouse. Centrocercus urophasianux. 



Palo greenish drab.] 

 greenish drab color, spotted with brown. 



Range. Sage plains of the Rocky 

 Mountain region from British Colum- 

 bia to New Mexico, and from Califor- 

 nia to Dakota. This handsome bird 

 is the largest of the American Grouse, 

 being about 30 inches long (the hen 

 bird is about six inches shorter). It 

 may easily be recognized by its lar^r 

 size, its peculiar graduated tail with 

 extremely sharply pointed feathers. 

 and the black belly and throat. Their 

 nests are hoi lows scratched out in the 

 sand, under the sage bushes, gener- 

 ally with no lining. The nesting 

 season is during April and May. they 

 lavinu from six to twelve eggs of a 

 Size 2.15 x 1.50. 



