Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse 151 
The female resembles the male, but is smaller—wing 8-5—and has 
quite inconspicuous neck-tufts. Young birds have the feathers of 
the upper-parts with rather conspicuous white mesial streaks. 
Distribution.—The Mississippi Valley from Louisiana and Texas north 
to Manitoba and west to the borders of Colorado, east to Indiana and 
Kentucky ; migratory over the northern part of its range. 
Like the Baltimore Oriole, the Cardinal and the Blue Jay, the Prairie 
Chicken is gradually extending its range westwards with the opening 
up and settlement of the western prairies and the cultivation of the 
ground, Though included by Drew and Morrison in their Colorado 
lists, the first definite recorded instance of its occurrence seoms to be 
that of J. S. Robertson of Barton, just two miles within the Colorado 
border line in the extreme north-east of the State, who had seen them 
twice on his farm in 1897 ; later on, in 1900, Otto Derr wrote to Cooke 
that at Wray the Prairie Hen is a not uncommon breeder. Hersey 
and Rockwell state that in 1907 a pair nested fourteen miles north- 
east of Denver, near Barr, and in the following year two pairs raised 
eighteen young. 
It may be considered an, uncommon resident in the north-eastern 
part of the State. 
Genus PEDIOCATES. 
Head slightly crested ; a naked patch over the eye bearing numerous 
yellow papille ; no tufts or ruffs; but » semi-concealed bare patch 
on the neck forming a rudimentary tympanum ; tail short, less than, 
half the wing, of eighteen feathers strongly graduated, the central pair 
narrow, square-tipped and projecting about an inch beyond the others ; 
feathering on, the tarsus extending about half way down tho toes, 
confined to the front and sides; toes with a lateral fringe of horny 
processes. 
One species only, with two additional local races confined to North 
America. 
Key oF THE SPECIES. 
A. More rusty and tawny in tone. P. p. campestris, p. 152, 
B. More buffy and greyish in tone. P. p. columbianus, p. 151. 
Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse. 
Pediocetes phasianellus columbianus. 
A.O.U. Checklist no 308a—Colorado Record—Cary 09, p. 181. 
Description.— Hardly differing from P. p. campestris, but with the 
ground-colour buffy-greyish or pale greyish with little if any rusty tinge. 
