Vol. XI 
1S93 J 
Shufeldt on a Hybrid Grouse. 
2 Brl 
NOTES ON THE TRUNK SKELETON OF A 
HYBRID GROUSE. 
BY R. W. SHUFELDT. 
On the 15th of last January (1893), Mr. William Brewster 
purcliased in the markets of Cambridge, Mass., a specimen in 
the flesh ot a hybrid Grouse. He prepared the skin of it for his 
private collection, and placed the body of the bird in alcohol. 
Writing me from Cambridge upon the 13th of the following 
month, he oft’ered me the latter for anatomical Investigation, 
saying at the same time that, as far as he could ascertain, the 
bird “lacked wholly either testes or ovary.” During the latter 
part of February this spirit specimen came into my possession, 
and in the letter of transmittal Mr. Brewster further said : “Idle 
market-man could tell me nothing as to where it had come from, 
save that he received it with many other Grouse (all 
Tytn-panuchus americanus) from a wholesale dealer in 
Boston.” 
“It is nearly intermediate in respect to color, markings, and 
leather development between T. ajnericanus a.n<\ Pedioantes p. 
campestris. It has the neck tufts (only about one inch long, 
however) of the former and the elongated central tail-feathers of 
the latter. It had evidently been snared, and killed by wringing 
the neck.” I re-examined the specimen for sex characters (but 
without a lens, however) and utterly failed to find any trace of 
generative organs whatever. In April, through the kindness of 
Mr. True of the National Museum, the alcoholic, which had 
already been partially skeletonized by myself, was passed into 
the hands of Mr. F. A. Lucas, to be completed by one of liis 
workmen. Thanks to them, the cleaned bones now lie before 
me for description. These consist of the femora, the shoulder- 
girdle (complete), the sternum, the ribs (whiclr had all been 
cut in two in order to examine for sex characters) , tile cervico- 
dorsal vertebras, the pelvis, and two (proximal ones) coccygeal 
vertebrse. 
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