200 FEATHEBED GAME 



but lighter and somewhat reddish at the side. 

 Below, white; breast, sides and crissum black 

 with white spottings. Tail brown with chestnut 

 and white barrings. Quills dusky, with white 

 shafts. Wing coverts dusky gray. Bill black, 

 yellowish at base. Legs dull yellow. The face 

 bare of feathers and covered with small, yel- 

 low, wart-like growths. The long neck feath- 

 ers are almost never alike in their coloring 

 on any two specimens in fact, there is a wide 

 variation in the color arrangement all through. 

 The "ruff" is an adornment for the spring 

 love-making, only worn by the males, and may 

 be of any color or combination of colors be- 

 tween pure white and jet black. The length of 

 this species from twelve to thirteen inches; ex- 

 tent from twenty-two to twenty-three inches. 



The female is quite a little smaller and not 

 such a striking bird. She lacks the "ruff," as 

 before stated, also the peculiar growths on the 

 face, and looks much like the "grassbird," 

 though considerably larger. 



