PEDIAECAETES COLLUtBIAXUS. E l l i o t .
.SIIARMAILEI) GROISR
T im u o n i ISIASfXU-S. O r i GMhr. C » e , 2J Ai. , , . .d l,„ ¡¡., 1815, p. H 1 7 _X „ „ . M.„., rol. I„ 1X2, COO.-Ari, O ri Biog., rei, ir
UM«, p. »69, pi. 382 .-II,. S jn , 18.79, p. 205,—Ib. Bini, of Arar., voi. v , 1842, p. 110, pi. 2 0 8 . -X „ b , Zool. IVI. oiid Or lio.to
Hop. B. 11. II. S o r,, voi. vi, 1857, p. 0 4 .-B o i S ,,„ 1828, p. 127,-Coop. ood Suckl, Xot. 111,1. IVo.h. T.vril, p 223 -B o i, A,.
Orniti.., voi, iii., p, 44, piate.
PIUSIANFS COLUMBIANUS. Or.l. Ontl., Geo«., 2d An.er, edit.. 1815, voi ii p 317
TETKAO UROPII.\SIANELLUS. Doug., Tran.s. Linn. Soe., voi. xvi., 1829 p 13C
PEDIAECAETES COLUMBIANUS, Elliot, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sciences (186.3), p. , and 1864
PEDIAECAETES PHASIANELLUS. Bair.l, U. S. Ex. Exp, V. R. )< voi ix
Tins fine bird, often confounded with the well-knomi Rhmated Grou.se or Prairie Chicken (Cujdd.mia Cupido), dwells on the plains bor.lcring
the M.ss,s.«4,in and .Missouri rivere, and so ou westward across the continent. I t h.is never, I believe, been obtained to the east of the Mis«issi,.pi,
but snpi.he.«, on the vast western ,,lain.«, the plaee of it.« near ally. In their habits these two species somewhat re.«emble each other, but the
blmrp-ta.l secm.« to be dostitnto of tl.e gnlar sacks .«0 prominent in the other during the spring. They congregate in flocks, sometimes of
many l.un.lrods, and as they he close, and fly only a short distance ou being disturbed, afford very good sport to the gunner. They rise with
the whirring no.se, caused by the rapid beating of the wings, common to this family, and as thev commence their flight, u ttc r'a eineking
sound often rei.cated. They fly ge.iorally straight and r.ither swift, but in the fall arc casilv brought down by a cool sportsman Their flesh
icscmbics tlmt of the "pr.iiric cl.ieken:” in fact, I have been unable
distiug.ii.sh the one Iroiii the other, when hot!, have been served up
together. The |>rcsoiit species is never found on the high lands or
the forest«, but is only fo be procured 14.011 the i.i'airics, which are
alone its natural home.
t the mouth of the Yellowstone River.
Dr. Sucklcy says of this Grouse, that •• W'e first noticed the specie.« in Nebraska, near Fort Unimi.
From that point to the Cascade Mountains of Oregon aud Washington Territories, the s,.ecics is excee . ..................................
country nn.l sufrK-iency of food, In certain ¡ilaees they are ¡1. great ..umbers in tho autumn, congreg.rting in large flocks, cs[.ecially in the
vicimty of patches of wild rye, and more recently near settlement.« «here there arc wheat stubbles. They rc«e...l.lo the I’ininitcd Gronse iu
habits, and are good both for lal.le and for sport. In ¡.laces «-here they arc numerous, they may fre.iucntly be found on cold .m.mings in
the antnmn or cai'iy- winter, ¡.e. elied on fences or leafless trees, snniiing themselves in the earlv sunligl.t. At Fort Dalles, on the 1st of A¡.l•il
1855, a young bird scarcely two d.iys old was l.rougbt to me. This early incnbation wonld lend us to suspect that the species in favorable
sitn.il.ons has two or more hrooils .luring the season, Tiic young bird above n.cntionod « as conlidcd to the matronlv eare of a lien « ith a
yonng brood of chickens, but the yonng Grouse, not imderst;imli..g the kimlncss of
cr-pnront. 11 nml hid itself a:
and probably perished th a t very night from cold," .
This s).ceies has been considered by ornithologists generally as the same as Liimsus's Tctmo PhasumcUus, nml is mentioned, in the various
worts ami papers devoted to this science, l.y that specific appellation. A nnmher of s¡.ecimens of Shaip-Tailcd Grouse having arriveti a t the
Smithsonian Institution fiAin .Arctic America, it was discovered ou examination that they wore flic s[.ecles described by the great Swede.
an<i that onr lamiliar bird was prohnbly unknown to him. The points of difference will be fully described in my article on the PMiaerarU-s
PhasiancUm.
The plate represents the male, female, ami yonng of the natural size. The latter I believe have never before been figured, and I am iiidel.te.i
to my friend W. J. Hays, Es.,„ well known as an artist uncqnalled in this country for his pictures of animal life, for the npportniiity of inlro-
ducitig them into my ¡.late. These chicks were obtained by this gentlo.min during an excursion he made a short time since up the Mis,«’ouri river,
ami are the only «¡.ecimens tlmt I am aware of, in any cabinet in this country. This species is sometime« brought to the markets in this city
with the Piimatod Grouse, which are sent from tlic extreme AYest, ivlicii there is a long coiitimiance of cold weather. It is not generally ilis-
tinguishc<l by the poultiy vender.« from the better-known gronse, although by some of them it goes by the name of wliitc-brea.sto<i inairio chicken.