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COLUMBIAN SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. 



I NHABITING the Northwestern States of the Union 

 from Montana and Wyoming to Washington and 

 Oregon, on the eastern slopes of the mountains which 

 there check its progress toward the Pacific, and thence 

 north through British Columbia to Alaska, this bird is 

 the Western representative of the race dwelling upon 

 the prairies of the States lying just east of the Rocky 

 Mountains. South it goes to Nevada and the north- 

 eastern part of California. To most persons the two 

 forms here distinguished as the Columbian and Prairie 

 Sharp-tailed Grouse would appear to be the same, the 

 slight differences of color and style of markings not being 

 sufficiently striking and tangible to be perceived without 

 having the assistance of an expert to point them out. 

 And, in truth, the differences are very slight, but never- 

 theless have been deemed important enough to give the 

 birds the rank of separate races. The locality of a speci- 

 men, however, would be of the highest importance, in 

 many instances, in assisting the decision as to which 

 race it belonged. This Grouse, known, in addition 

 to the name given above, as the Pin-tail, Spike-tail 

 Grouse, and Prairie Chicken, has practically the same 

 habits as those of its Eastern relative, and is very common 

 throughout the districts in which it is found. Like the 

 Prairie Sharp-tail, it keeps to the open country, and if 

 met with in summer in the wooded portions, it will only 

 be along their edges, where it has easy access to the 

 prairie-land. 



In the spring, before sunrise, these birds meet together 



126 



