SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. 
Pediecetes phasianellus. 
Pediccetes phasianellus columbianus. 
Pediecetes phasianellus campestris. 
The sharp-tailed grouse, while about the same size 
as the pinnated grouse, is a somewhat plumper and 
stouter bird, and, from the fact that its tail is smaller, 
does not seem so large. The tail of the sharp-tail is 
graduated, the middle pair of feathers projecting much 
beyond the rest; it has no tufts of feathers on the side 
of the neck. It has a high crest, is brownish or rusty 
above, varied with spottings and barrings of black and 
darker brown. Large round white spots mark the 
wing coverts, and the scapulars are somewhat streaked 
with white, while the outer webs of the quills of the 
wing are spotted with white. The lower parts are for 
the most part white, varied with V-shaped marks of 
dusky on front and sides of breast. The female is 
similar, but a little smaller. The differences between 
the three forms consist chiefly in the shades of colors. 
The northern sharp-tailed grouse (Pediacetes pha- 
stanellus—Linn.) is very dark-colored, with the dark 
markings on the upper parts very heavy, while the 
white marks on the wings show out strongly against 
this dark color. The feathering on the legs is dark 
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