194 The Grouse Family 



distinct and numerous upon breast and flanks, and paling and 

 decreasing in size as tliey near the abdomen ; long, central 

 feathers of tail, black, irregularly barred with pale buff and 

 ' white, remainder of feathers, white ; under tail-coverts, white, 

 with a dark brown streak along shafts of some. Legs and toes, 

 covered with hairlike, pale brown feathers ; bill, dark horn. 

 Total length, about i6 inches ; wing, 8J ; tail, to end of elon- 

 gated central feathers, 5 J. Female, like the male, but usually a 

 trifle smaller. Downy young, very pretty — upper parts, buff, 

 with irregular spots and lines of black ; under parts, light yel- 

 low, washed on breast with buff. Range — Canadian provinces, 

 from Lake Superior and Hudson Bay to Fort Simpson. 



This sturdy and valuable game-bird is seldom, 

 if ever, found below 52° south, which means that 

 it must be considered a purely Canadian species. 

 It has been taken as high as 69" of north latitude, 

 and occasionally on some of the eastern slopes of 

 the Rockies, but there is no authentic record of 

 its having been seen west of that range. Near its 

 southern limit it intergrades with the better-known 

 race, P. p. columbianus, which it so closely re- 

 sembles that only a trained eye would note the 

 difference — a general darker cast of plumage. 



THE COLUMBIAN SHARP-TAILED GROUSE 

 {P. p. columbianus) 



This is the well-known " pintail" and " spike- 

 tail " grouse of sporting lore. It is a race of the 

 preceding species, distinguished by a paler tone 

 of the upper parts, and by having the toes bare 

 instead of feathered. Its habits closely resemble 



