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WHITE-TAILED GROUS. 



Tetrao leucurus, Swains. 

 PLATE CCCCXVIII. Adult in winter. 



This pretty little Grous is an inhabitant of the Rocky Mountains, 

 where it was found by Mr Douglas and afterwards by Mr Drummond, 

 who sent several specimens to England. It is said to extend as far as 

 the Columbia River, but has not been observed in that region by either 

 Mr NoTTALL or Dr Townsend. All that is known of its habits is, 

 that they resemble those of the Ptarmigan. Mr Drummond states, 

 that this bird never has the black stripe from the bill to the eye so con- 

 spicuous in the males of the other species. My figure was drawn from 

 the only specimen now in the Museum of the Zoological Society of 

 London. 



Tethao (lagopus) LEncuiius, Swains, White-tailed Gaous, Richards, and 

 Swains. Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 356. 

 White-tailed Grous, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 612. 



Adult in winter. Plate CCCCXVIII. Fig. 2. 



Bill short, robust ; upper mJindible with the dorsal outline curved, 

 the ridge and sides convex, the edges overlapping, the tip declinate, 

 thin edged and rounded ; lower mandible with the angle short and wide, 

 the dorsal line convex, the back broadly convex, the sides rounded, the 

 edges inflected, the tip obtuse. Nostrils basal, roundish, concealed by 

 the feathers. 



Head small, ovate ; neck of moderate length ; body full. Feet of 

 ordinary length, stout ; tarsus and toes feathered ; the first toe very 

 small, the middle toe much longer than the lateral, which are nearly 

 equal. Claws slightly arched, depressed, broad, thin-edged, the tip ra- 

 ther pointed. 



Plumage compact, the feathers ovate and rounded ; those of the 

 tarsi and toes with loose stiffish filaments. Wings short, concave ; 

 primaries strong, narrow, tapering, pointed ; the third and fourth 

 longest. Tail rather short, slightly rounded, of sixteen broad feathers. 



