SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. 



Pedlcecetes phasianellus. 

 Pedicecetes phasianellus columbianus. 

 Pedicecctes phasianellus campestris. 



The sharp-tailed grouse, while about the same size 

 as the pinnated grouse, is a somewhat plumper and 

 stouter bird, and, from the fact that its tail is smaller, 

 does not seem so large. The tail of the sharp-tail is 

 graduated, the middle pair of feathers projecting much 

 beyond the rest ; it has no tufts of feathers on the side 

 of the neck. It has a high crest, is brownish or rusty 

 above, varied with spottings and barrings of black and 

 darker brown. Large round white spots mark the 

 wing coverts, and the scapulars are somewhat streaked 

 with white, while the outer webs of the quills of the 

 wing are spotted with white. The lower parts are for 

 the most part white, varied with V-shaped marks of 

 dusky on front and sides of breast. The female is 

 similar, but a little smaller. The differences between 

 the three forms consist chiefly in the shades of colors. 



The northern sharp-tailed grouse (Pedicccetes pha- 

 sianellus Linn.) is very dark-colored, with the dark 

 markings on the upper parts very heavy, while the 

 white marks on the wings show out strongly against 

 this dark color. The feathering on the legs is dark 



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