TETliAO UEOGALLOIDES. MrDDKSD.
H II!i;i:iA X WOOD (iliOUSE.
TETKAO UKOiiALLOlDES. Midiicn.l,, Siher. Kcis., Kaiid. ii.—Elliot, Proc. Acad. Nat. Scicn, (IKfil i.
TETKAO t'K(KJAl,LU8-VAR. MINOR. 1’alla.s, Zoogr. li. A., ii.. pp. 58, .59.
Tim« Wood Grouse is a native of Northern Ru«.«ia. Siberia, and Kamtschatka, and is fully described by Middendovf in the work above
referred to. He says; ‘•Pallas notices that Me««rs. Pchniidt had di«ting.usl,ed a sniailer variety of Wood Grouse; Stellcr, ou bis part. I fmd,
aflinu« th a t the Wood Ci-oiise of Ka.utschatka were obviously smaller than those of Siberia and Rus.«iu. These statements are explained
by the fact that iu Siberia I have met with two varieties o f the (.■ock-of-tl.c-Wood, i r.. the one considered a« typic.al iu Emopc, and a
smaller variety or «iiccies living iu the mountainous regions; aud this latter appearing to he the ouly ouc existing iu Kaiut.«chatka.
uur «poeie-s Im« several dis.inguisluug characteri.tic«, wlueh w-e will review in order. First, iu regard to tl.e mal,.. It is considerably smaller
than the Euroi>cau C-ock-of-the-Woods, the full-grown bird weigldug probably not more than 9i pounds a t the l.ighcst estimate. Tins small
size is very apparent ou .a comparison of the bills aud the toes, Tl.o follow-ing mc.tsurcments of a largo male of the tyiucal form, aud of
tbe Tctrao I ’ragalloides of the Stunon oj ilountains show the difference existing:
32 millimetres. 21 millimetres.
Height of bill.............................................................................................................
Ricadth of upper m a n d i b l e , ............................................................................................................ “
Leugtli of upper muudible, 39 “
■' :
•• middle toe without nail,
liv this the o-rcat difference in the bill of the two forms will be seen. Notwitli«tamUiig tliis, the difference ii
body is not very gre.it, for ou account of the proiiortiouutely longer tail of Tctrao rrogaUoUies, its eutire length is o.pial to that of Tctrao
Urogallns. Witli this last species, the tail when laid ou tl.e back generuUy reaches to the beginning of the neck ; with tl.e other, however, it goes
to flic back of the head This is iu couseip.euce of tl.e length of tl.o middle foall.ei's, whicli give to the tail a wedge sliape.
‘' The upper purts of Tctrao Urogalloides are always covered with wl.ite spot«; and those upon the upper coverts of the wings aud tail are
characteristic of this species." » • * •
There is a line example of a male of this species iu tl.e BritM. Museum, with even more white spots upon tho wings than were upon those ol
the specimen fi"-Hred in my plate; ami in the Pari« Mu«oiim a very well presc.-vcd female. This hist resembles closely the female of Tctrao
Urogallns. but the wings and back were very much spotted aud marked with white.
This species resembles iu some degree its near relative, tl.e Tctrao Urogaliu«, but may easily bo di«ting.ii«l.e.l from it by tl.e r.
spots ..pon the wings, .and also sometimes on the back, its small size, and .vedge-sliaped tail.
The liguves iiro about three-fourtl.s the natural size.
.f the whole
•s of w-l.ito