SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. 
199 
-within the limits of these States. He met with it oii 
the upper waters of the Missouri, but observes, that it 
is peculiarly the inhabitant of the great plains of the 
Columbia. He states also, that the scales, or lateral 
processes of the toes, with which it is furnished in 
winter, like the rest of its genus, drop off in summer. 
Say introduced the species regularly into the scientific 
records of his country. The expedition under Major 
Long brought back a specimen now in the Philadelphia 
Museum, from which, though a female, and unusually 
light coloured, we have taken our description, on 
account of its having been procured in the American 
territory. The bird is never seen in any of the Atlantic 
states, though numerous in high northern latitudes. 
It is common near Severn River and Albany Fort, 
inhabiting the uncultivated lands in the neighbourhood 
of the settlements, and particularly near the southern 
parts of Hudson’s Bay, being often killed in winter 
near Fort York ; but it does not extend its range to 
Churchill. Near Fort William, on Lake Superior, the 
sharp-tailed grouse is also found in spring, and we have 
seen specimens killed in winter at Cumberland House, 
and others at York Factory in summer. In collections 
it is very rare; and Temminck, when he wrote his 
history of gallinaceous birds, had never seen a specimen, 
nor did it exist at the time in any European museum. 
It is by the shape of the tail that this grouse is 
eminently distinguished from all others. The English 
name which we have, with Mr Sabine, selected from 
Pennant, is much more applicable than that of long- 
tailed, given by Edwards ; for instead of being long* 
it is, except the middle feathers, remarkably short, 
cuneiform, and acute, more resembling that of some 
ducks than of the pheasant. By the elongated feathers, 
but in no other particular, this species approaches the 
African genus P ter ocles. At Hudson’s Bay it is called 
pheasant, a name which, though inappropriate, seems, 
at least, better applied to this than the ruffed grouse. 
The original writers that have mentioned this grouse 
are, Edwards, who first introduced it, and has figured 
