TETRAONID.E. S49 



of both, and he assures us that he is not aware of any difference between them. 

 Mr. Douglas, on the other hand, who has also seen these birds in their native 

 regions, thinks differently ; and although he observes that in habit it assi- 

 milates more with T. Canadensis than any other, he considers the " unusually 

 long, square tail," and its colouring, as sufficiently distinctive characters. In 

 our specimens the tail is not longer than in Canadensis ; and did we look to the 

 colouring alone, however strikingly different it is in the two birds, we should be 

 disposed to class them as varieties. But a more accurate. examination will detect 

 some essential differences in the structure of the feathers themselves : those of 

 Canadensis are more graduated, giving the tail a rounder appearance ; and they 

 are all slightly, but distinctly emarginate in the middle, from whence rises a little 

 mucro or point, formed by the end of the shafts. Now this emargination is not 

 seen in Franhiinii, nor is there any appearance of the mucro. Again, in the 

 latter bird the tail feathers are much broader, fully measuring one inch and a fifth 

 across ; whereas those of Canadensis are barely one inch broad. Until, there- 

 fore, we become persuaded that distinctions drawn from structure are not to be 

 relied upon, we must coincide with Mr. Douglas in considering the present as a 

 distinct species. — Sw. 



This bird inhabits the valleys of the Rocky Mountains from the sources of the 

 Missouri to those of the Mackenzie, and Mr. Douglas informs us that it is 

 sparingly seen on the elevated platforms which skirt the snowy peaks of Mount 

 Hood, Mount St. Helen's, and Mount Baker. He adds, " It runs over the 

 shattered rocks and among the brushwood with amazing speed, and only uses 

 its wings as a last effort to escape. It forms its nest on the ground, of dried 

 leaves and grass, not unfrequently at the foot of decayed stumps, or by the side 

 of fallen timber in the mountainous woods. The eggs are dingy white, and 

 somewhat smaller than those of Columba palumbus" — R. 



DESCRIPTION 



Of a male, killed near the sources of the Athabasca, lat. 56°. 



Colour. — Plumage of a mature male Tetrao Canadensis, except that six pairs of upper 

 tail coverts are broadly tipped with white, and the tail is a little longer and wants the orange- 

 coloured terminal band. The middle pair of tail feathers are narrowly tipped with white, as 

 is sometimes the case in T. Canadensis, particularly the females. The ends of the tail 

 feathers are more truncated and their webs broader than in the latter bird. The female 

 can scarcely be distinguished from the female T. Canadensis. 



