tetraonidjE. 347 



Mountains, it is replaced by the Tetrao Franklinii. It generally perches on fir- 

 trees, in flocks of eight or ten ; and is so unsuspicious, or rather stupid, that it 

 may be taken by slipping a noose, fastened to the end of a stick, over its head. 

 When disturbed, it flies heavily for a short distance, and then settles again among 

 the interior branches of a tree. In the winter, I found its crop invariably filled 

 with the leaves of the black or white spruce ; and its flesh was then very dark, and 

 had a strong resinous taste. I have been informed that, in districts where the 

 Pinits Banksiana grows, it prefers the leaves of that tree. In the summer it is 

 said to feed on berries, which may render its flesh more palatable. Mr. Hutchins 

 states that its eggs are spotted with black, yellow, and white. 



DESCRIPTION 



Of a male, killed on the eastern declivity of the Rocky Mountains. 



Colour. — Upper plumage, including the wing and tail coverts, also the flanks and middle 

 of the neck beneath, marked with concentric semicircular bars of pitch-black and yellowish- 

 brown or brownish-grey, — the paler colour always forming the terminal bar, and being 

 broadest and most inclined to grey on the neck above and posterior part of the back ; on the 

 base of the neck, scapulars, and tertiaries, the black predominates, and the narrower bars are 

 yellowish-brown ; and on the lesser wing coverts and flanks the bars of these two colours are 

 equal in breadth, but on the latter the colours are brighter and the shafts are striped on the 

 tips with long triangular white marks, as are also those of some of the scapulars. Four lateral 

 pairs of tail coverts have only a terminal grey bar, but are finely undulated throughout with 

 yellowish-brown. Outer edge of the wing, primary coverts, and quills, clove-brown ; the 

 greater quills mottled exteriorly, and the lesser ones edged and tipped with wood-brown. 

 Tail pitch-black, with reddish-orange tips, broadest on the lateral feathers, and finely edged 

 with black. Under plumage: — nasal feathers, sides and under surface of the head, with 

 part of the throat, the breast, adjoining part of the neck, middle of the belly, and under 

 tail coverts, velvet-black ; the latter broadly tipped with white ; the belly, sides of the 

 breast, and a narrow band across it, marked with subterminal bars of the same ; also a spot 

 behind the nasal feathers, another behind the upper eyelid, the under eyelid, and a line 

 bounding the cheeks and throat, barred and mottled with white. Inner wing coverts and 

 axillaries clove-brown, the latter and part of the former tipped and striped on the shafts 

 with white. Bill and nails blackish. Fringed comb over the eye bright red. 



A female, in full winter plumage, killed at Great Bear Lake, has the feathers on the back 

 of the neck, back, and rump broadly tipped with grey and barred with blackish-brown and 

 pale brownish-orange. Wings with more of the yellowish-brown than in the male, — the 

 white marks on the tips of the scapulars and flanks being much larger, and there being 

 similar ones on the tertiaries and many of the wing coverts. Tail black, mottled throughout, 

 and tipped with reddish-orange. Under plumage broadly barred with white and black, the 

 white tipping all the feathers. On the breast there are some bright wood-brown bars. — 



2 Y 2 



