58 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
gans, which are classed in the genus Lagopus, resemble 
the preceding, except that the toes are feathered and 
that the plumage turns white in winter. The Cupidonia, 
to which the prairie chicken belongs, has a tail that 1s 
shorter than the wing, and is composed of eighteen 
broad, flat feathers. The sides of the neck have tufts 
or little wings of long, narrow feathers, beneath which 
is a strongly marked piece of naked skin that is capa- 
ble of distension. The tarsi are barely feathered to the 
toes, and the markings of the under parts run crosswise. 
In the Bonasa, the tail, which is composed of eigh- 
teen broad, rounded feathers, is as long as the wing; the 
tarsi are naked below; there is no evident naked space on 
the neck, but on each side are numerous broad, soft 
feathers, which form tufts. The Pediocetes, or sharp- 
tailed grouse, have a wedge-shaped tail of eighteen 
narrow feathers, of which the two in the middle are 
an inch or more longer than the others. The more 
northern birds have the tarsi and toes feathered, but 
in the southern variety the feathering does not extend 
further than the roots of the toes. The neck is devoid 
of peculiar feathers, and the markings of the under parts 
run lengthwise, instead of crosswise—as in the prairie 
chicken—so that both species can be readily distinguished 
apart. The Centrocercus, which is represented by the 
sage-cock, has a tail that equals or exceeds the wing in 
length. This is wedge-shaped, and composed of twenty 
narrow, stiff feathers, about a foot long. The tarsi are 
feathered; the toes are naked; the neck has a large 
‘ naked space, a patch of scale-like feathers, and many 
bristly filaments. This species can be readily identified 
anywhere by its size and plumage and its peculiar mark- 
ings. 
The following diagram will give an idea of the distinc- 
tions between each genus: 
