228 HISTORY OF THE 



This small, bleached species does not differ in habits from 

 our common Prairie Hen, T. americanus. 



GEXUS PEDIOC^TES BAIRD. 



"Tail short, graduated; exclusive of the much lengthened middle part, 

 where are two feathers ( perhaps tail coverts), with parallel edges and truncated 

 ends half the full rounded wing; tarsi densely feathered to the toes and between 

 the bases; neck without peculiar feathers; culmen between the nasal fossae not 

 half the total length." 



Pediocaetes phasianellus campestris RIDGW. 



PRAIRIE SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. 

 PLATE XIII. 



A common resident in the western part of the State. For- 

 merly met with occasionally in the eastern portion, but, being a 

 bird of the wild prairies and the open woodlands, it is gradu- 

 ally retreating westward as the settlements advance, and will 

 soon be a rare bird, to be looked for only in the sand hills and 

 unsettled portions of the State. 



B. . R. . C. . G. 221,* 106. TJ. 308&. 



HABITAT. Plains and prairies east of the Kocky Mountains; 

 east to Wisconsin; north to Manitoba; south to New Mexico. 



COMMON CHARACTERS OF THE SPECIES. Adult male: Above, varied with 

 irregular spotting and barring of black and brownish; wing coverts with large 

 roundish white spots, and scapulars streaked medially with same; outer webs of 

 quills spotted with white; beneath, white, varied with mostly V-shaped marks 

 of dusky, chiefly on anterior and lateral portions. Adult female: Similar to 

 male but somewhat smaller, and with middle tail feathers shorter. Young: 

 Above brownish, spotted and barred with black and conspicuously streaked 

 with white; outer webs of quills spotted with white; lower parts dull whitish, 

 the chest, breast, sides and flanks spotted with dusky. Downy young: Bright 

 buffy yellow, the upper parts tinged with light rusty and coarsely marbled with 

 black; a small black spot on middle of crown, and several larger black mark- 

 ings on occiput and hirid neck, but fore part of head, all round, immaculate. 

 (Ridgway.) 



SP. CHAR. Lighter colored, the general color of upper parts buffy grayish 

 or light brownish of various shades, always predominating over black markings, 

 the white markings on scapulars and wings not conspicuously contrasted with 

 the general color; feathering of feet pale brownish gray. Ground color above 

 more rusty or ochraceous. (Ridgicay.) 



* Entered in first catalogue as P. phasianus columbianus ( ORD. ). 



