158 



THE SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. 



Centrocercus phasianellus SWAINSON. 

 PLATE XVI.* 



Tetrao phasianellus, Buonaparte's Continuation of Wilson. 

 Long-Tailed Grouse, Edwards Sharp-Tailed Grouse, 

 Pennant. Centrocercus phasianellus, Northern Zoo- 

 logy. 



THE two following specimens are remarkable for 

 the elongated form of the tail, and have been placed 

 by Mr Swainson, as the scantorial forms of the fa- 

 mily, particularly the next bird, where the feathers 

 are rigid and sharp pointed, and almost bare at the 

 tips. The present bird, though previously hinted 

 at by several authors, appears never to have been 

 authentically known or described, until after the re- 

 turn of Say from the Rocky Mountain expedition ; 

 but the best description is given by Bonaparte in 

 his continuation, who has also figured the female. 



It is common in the southern parts of the Hud- 

 son Bay settlements. According to the Northern 

 Zoology, the most northern limit is the Great Slave 

 Lake, 65 parallel, and its most southern recorded 

 station, 41 on the Missouri. It abounds on the out- 



* The generic name upou the Plate was engraved by mis- 

 take. 



