Dusky Grouse 145 
Genus DENDRAGAPUS. 
Large birds without crests or any specially lengthened feathers, but 
with « bare space on the neck, ordinarily concealed by feathers but 
capable of inflation into a drum or tympanum; tail long, even or 
slightly rounded, about 3 of the wing, of eighteen to twenty feathers 
normally ; tarsus feathered to the toes. 
This genus contains one western species with three local races con- 
fined to the pine forests of the Rocky Mountains. 
Dusky Grouse. Dendragapus obscurus. 
A.O.U. Checklist no 297—Colorado Records—Pike 10, ii., p. 458 
(Coues’ ed.); Say 23, ii, p. 14; Allen 72, pp. 159, 164; Trippe 74, 
p. 399; Henshaw 75, p. 435 ; Scott 79, p. 96; Tresz 81, p. 189; Drew 
81, p. 142; 85, p. 17; Morrison 88, p. 139; 89, p. 181; Kellogg 90, 
p. 87; Bendire 92, p. 41; Lowe 94, p. 267; Burnett 96, p. 643 
McGregor 97, p. 38; Cooke 97, pp. 70, 202; Henderson 03, p. 235; 
09, p. 228; Judd 05, p. 41; Gilman 07, p. 153; Warren 08, p. 20; 
Rockwell 08, p. 161. 
Description.—Male—Above mottled, dusky and slaty-blue, most blue 
on the hind-neck, the wings with a little tawny as well; tail slaty- 
black with u terminal band of pale slaty; below slaty-grey, varied 
with white on the sides and abdomen ; chin and throat white, spotted 
with slaty ; iris orange-brown, bill black, feet blue-grey, comb over the 
eye and neck-drum yellow. Length 20; wing 9-5; tail 7-5; culmen 
-8; tarsus 1-8; weight about three to five pounds. 
The female is a good deal smaller—length about 17-5, wing 8-5; and 
has more dark-brown and buffy mottling on the back and chest. Young 
birds are like the female, but have in addition white shaft-marks and 
tips to many of the feathers, and the two central tail-feathers mottled 
and barred with dusky and tawny. 
Distribution.—The Rocky Mountains region from Montana and Idaho 
and the Black Hills of Dakota, south to the White Mountains of Arizona 
and to New Mexico. A resident throughout its range. 
In Colorado the Dusky Grouse is a resident, found throughout the 
year in, the mountainous portion of the State, chiefly in the pine forests 
from about 7,000 feet to timber line. It has been noted from Estes 
Park (Kellogg) to the Wet Mountains (Lowe), and from Mesa co. 
(Rockwell) to La Plata (Morrison). It was undoubtedly killed by Pike 
on the slopes of Cheyenne Mountain near Colorado Springs, who alludes 
to it as the “‘ Pheasant.” 
Habits.—The Dusky Grouse, also known as the Blue 
or Grey Grouse, and more familiarly as the Fool-hen, 
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