BIRDS—TETRAONIDAE—-CUPIDONIA. 
627 
feathers of the sides of the belly have concealed marks of the same character. The feathers on 
the hack are blackish brown, variously spotted with brownish yellow, without any decided indi¬ 
cation of transverse bars. A usual marking towards the tip of the feathers is an undulating 
transverse yellowish bar, two opposite U-shaped brown bars, the convexities resting on the shaft 
and more or less confluent, the spaces between these and the tips of the feathers whitish. The 
wings are brownish grey, the coverts all with large spots of white ; both webs of the second¬ 
aries with conspicuous transverse bars, the outer webs of the primaries with spots of the same. 
The sides of the head and beneath are brownish yellow with a whitish superciliary band; there is a 
curved dusky line below the eye parallel with the orbits, and a dusky spot below this. The tail 
feathers are dotted brownish grey, becoming pure white externally and to the tip. The central 
elongated feathers (or coverts) are like the back. 
Specimens vary in the amount of black on the back, and in the extent of brownish yellow on 
the flanks. 
This species differs totally from the T. cupido in the Y-shaped marks on the breast and sides, 
instead of transverse bands ; the pure white belly ; the transverse white bands on the second¬ 
aries ; the white spots on the wings; the lighter quills, and tail, independently of the more 
pointed tail, more feathered tarsi, absence of pointed feathers of the neck, stouter bill, &c. 
The tibial feathers are soiled white. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
When col¬ 
lected. 
Whence obtained. 
Orig. 
No. 
Collected by— 
Length. 
Stretch 
of wings 
Wing. 
Remarks. 
10001 
10000 
1969 
Fort Union, Neb. 
S. F. Baird. 
5420 
18.00 
26.00 
8.25 
4543 
3 
Fort Pierre. 
4543 
Oct. 2!, 1855 
5423 
O 
Oct. 25, 1856 
18.00 
28.75 
8.25 
5421 
o 
Oct. 20, 1856 
16.75 
26.50 
8.00 
10003 
V 
140 
9999 
Spokan river, W. T... 
Oct. 30, 1853 
21 
CUPIDONIA, Reichenbach. 
Cupidonia, Reichenbach, Av. Syst. Nat. 1850, p. xxix. Type Tetrao cupido, L. 
Ch.—T ail short, half the lengthened wings ; the feathers stiffened and more or less graduated. Bare space of the neck 
concealed by a tuft of lanceolate feathers. Tarsi feathered only to near the base, the lower joint scutellate. Culmen between 
the nasal fossae scarcely one-third the total length. 
This genus, as far as known, is entirely peculiar to North America. Its single species, G. 
cupido, is the well known prairie chicken, or prairie hen, of the west, a bird in its abundance 
and importance as an article of food representing, in the prairies of the United States, the 
ptarmigan or snow grouse of the north. 
Comparative measurements. 
Catal. 
No. 
Locality. 
Sex. 
Length. 
Wing. 
Tail. 
Tarsus. 
Middle 
toe. 
Its claw 
alone. 
Bill above. 
Along 
gape. 
Specimens 
measured. 
10006 
3 
16.60 
14.00 
8.80 
8.10 
4.70 
4.30 
2.02 
1.86 
2.35 
0.62 
0.87 
1 09 
10003 
O 
2.03 
0.42 
0.84 
1.09 
Skill. 
10007 
Near 32° L, Texas. 
A ? 
14.50 
14.80 
8.30 
4.18 
1.66 
1.78 
0.40 
0.88 
1.08 
10005 
o • 
9 ? 
7.80 
3.42 
1.59 
1.76 
0.34 
0.90 
1.14 
Skin. 
, 
