^'Cyz^^ 
A/(o 
^^O'T/L-O ^.■'C.-^y^,^^:^,.^^-Z^^,.^:^^ 
7l , /'^i^ 'sX.^ /3 'V^ 
Aty ePL^<.tJ^ 7^6^iiUA<o / ^>t.<^ji^ 
/^7i/Tt^C/'T<^ ; ZZ<^ ZctiZ Ci-' i,<yz3L^ 
Me. M 
^o - 
a.y^zrcC>/ J7<ji^ l^eyyyM- 
Ji. 
A Remarkable Specimen of the Pinnated Grouse (^Cupidonia 
cupido'). — While overhauling some Grouse in the Boston markets a few 
years since I came across a specimen which exhibits the following peculi- 
arities of plumage : 
Adult $ (No. 2691, author’s collection, Boston Markets, February 27, 
1873 — said to have come from Iowa). Ground-color above warm, brownish- 
cinnamon. Shorter neck-tufts or pinnate coverts, bright reddish-brown. 
Breast, reddish-chestnut, becoming almost clear chestnut anteriorly. A 
band or collar of broad, stiff feathers extends continuously around the 
neck in front and across the lower portion of the jugulum about in a line 
with the neck-tufts. These feathers although less stiff than the longest 
ones in the neck-tufts, are nevertheless quite as much so as the shorter ones. 
They make a conspicuous ruff which is mainly black mixed with a good 
deal of reddish-chestnut. The latter color on the shorter and overlapping 
feathers occurs in the form of narrow central stripes, which in some cases 
are nearly orange in tint; on the longer ones as a more or less broad, 
lateral marginning. 
I offer the above description solely for the purpose of calling attention 
to this remarkable specimen for I am entirely at a loss to account for its 
peculiarities. Several who have seen it have suggested that it may be a 
hybrid between the Prairie Hen and the Ruffed Grouse, but this hypothesis 
seems hardly a probable one, inasmuch as none of the combined charac- 
ters which would be expected in such an offspring are here presented. 
The ruff does indeed remotely suggest that of Boftasa, but otherwise 
the bird shows all the well-marked structural characters of Cupidoiiia. 
To simply say that it is abnormal will hardly satisfy the numerous inves- 
tigators of this pushing age of inquiry. — William Brewster, Cambridge^ 
Mass. Bull N.O.C. 7,Jan,lji82, p. 6^- 
2V 
