THE GROUSE FAMILY 



Sub-family Tetraonina, which includes all grouse. The American 

 species are : the ruffed grouse, the dusky grouse, the spruce- 

 grouse, the pinnated grouse, or prairie-chicken, the sharp- 

 tailed grouse, the cock-of-the-plains, and the ptarmigan. 



Genus Bonasa — Head crested, rudimentary air-sac covered by a tuft 

 of broad, soft, glossy feathers ; tail broad, long, rounded, fan- 

 shaped ; legs bare from heel. The ruffed grouse, B. umbellns ; 

 Sabine's grouse, B. u. sabitii ; the Canadian ruffed grouse, B. it. 

 (ogata, and the gray ruffed grouse, B. u. umbelloides. 



Genus Dendragapus — Head slightly crested; tail long, square at 

 tip; air-sacs on neck. The dusky grouse, D. obscurus; the 

 sooty grouse, D. v. fuliginosus ; Richardson's grouse, D. o. 

 richardsoni. 



Genus Canachites — Head without crest ; tail moderately long, nearly 

 square at tip; no air-sacs on neck. The Canada grouse, C. 

 canadensis, and the Franklin's grouse, C. franklini. 



Genus Tympanuchus — Head crested ; winglike tufts above air-sacs 

 on neck ; tail short, rounded. The pinnated grouse, T. amer- 

 icanus; heath-hen, T. cupido ; lesser prairie-hen, T. pallidi- 

 cinctus ; and Attwater's prairie-hen, T. a. attwateri. 



Genus Pedioecetes — Head slightly crested; no winglike tufts above 

 air-sacs ; tail pointed. The sharp-tailed grouse, P. phasianellus ; 

 the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, P. p. columbianus, and the 

 prairie sharp-tailed grouse, P. p. campestris. 



Genus Centrocercus — No crest ; air-sacs very large ; tail very long, 

 of narrow, stiff feathers ; male much larger than female. The 

 cock-of-the-plains (sage-cock), C. urophasianus. 



Genus Lagopus — No crest ; tarsi and toes densely feathered ; tail 

 medium length, slightly rounded; plumage turning white in 

 winter. The willow-ptarmigan, L. lagopus; Allen's ptarmigan, 

 L. I. alleni; rock-ptarmigan, L. rupestris; Reinhardt's ptarmi- 

 gan, L. r. rtinhardti ; Welch's ptarmigan,/., r. welchi; Nel- 

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