BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA 



207 



narrow nude' superciliary space ; sides of neck with an inflatable air sac 

 (less developed in females, large in males, and bright orange-colored in 

 breeding season), males having also on each side of neck, immediately 

 above the air sac, a conspicuous erectile tuft of much elongated, rather 

 rigid narrow feathers with obtusely pointed or narrowly rounded tips; 



Figure 12. — -Tympanuchus cupido. 



plumage in general compact, the feathers broad and rounded, except on 

 lower abdomen, anal region, etc., where soft, hairlike, and blended. 

 Upperparts barred with tawny-brown, buffy, and blackish, the tail plain 

 grayish brown (darker distally) narrowly tipped with whitish or buffy 

 (narrowly barred with buffy in females) ; underparts pale buffy or whitish, 

 barred, more or less broadly, with grayish brown ; the under side of head 

 buffy with a cluster of grayish brown spots or bars on posterior portion 

 of malar region. 



Range. — Open districts of eastern North America, from western por- 

 tion of the Great Plains to the Atlantic coast (locally) and from Texas 

 and southwestern Louisiana (formerly also Virginia?) northward to 

 coast of Massachusetts, southwestern Ontario, southern Manitoba, and 

 southwestern Saskatchewan. (Two species.) 



KEY TO THE FORMS (ADULTS) OF THE GENUS TYMPANUCHUS 



o. Darker bars of back and rump very broad, solid blackish brown; feathers cf 



breast brown with tips and subterrainal band whitish ; brown bars on sides 



and flanks unicolored. 



b. Scapulars with large and very conspicuous terminal spots of buffy whitish ; 



neck tufts or pinnae of adult male composed of not more than 10 lanceolate, 



