198 
TETRAO PHASIANELLUS. 
descended in this instance, as, after all the pains bestowed, 
the description is only that of an individual. The tail 
is pure black beneath, considerably paler at tip and on 
the undulations of the middle feathers. The tarsus is 
three quarters of an inch long; the feathers with which 
it is covered, together with the femorals, are pale 
grayish ochreous, undulated with dusky ; the toes are 
dusky, and the nails blackish. 
The male is hut little larger, and entirely, hut not 
intensely black. We can, however, say very little 
about it, having taken but a hasty and imperfect view 
of a specimen belonging to Mr Sabine of London, and 
writing merely from recollection. The tail-feathers are 
wholly black, perfectly plain and unspotted ; and in 
the female and young, they are but slightly mottled, as 
is seen in almost all grouse. Mr Sabine has long had 
this bird in his possession, and intended dedicating it, 
as a new species, to that distinguished traveller, Dr 
Bichardson. 
43 . TETRAO PHASIANELLUS , LIN. SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. 
RONAPARTE, PLATE XIX. EDINBURGH COLLEGE MUSEUM. 
This species of grouse, though long since said to 
inhabit Virginia, is, in fact, a recent acquisition to the 
Fauna of the United States; for it was only through 
an awkward mistake that it was ever attributed to that 
country. Mitchell, upon an inspection of Edward’s 
bad drawing of this bird, mistaking it for the ruffed 
grouse of that and the neighbouring states, declared it 
to be an inhabitant of Virginia; and upon his authority 
Edwards gave it as such. This statement, however, 
led Wilson into the erroneous belief of the identity of 
the two species, in which he was farther confirmed, 
when, after the most careful researches, he became 
satisfied that the ruffed grouse w as the only species to 
be found in Virginia. 
The gallant and lamented Governor Lewis gave the 
first authentic information of the existence of this bird 
