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OF

THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA

LOS ANGELES

Canada

Department of

Hon. LOUIS CODERRE, Minister;
R. G. McCONNELL, Deputy Minister.

Oteolonicnl Sttrucn

Museum Bulletin No. 7

BIOLOGICAL SERIES, No. 4. DECEMBER 20, 1914

A NEW SPECIES OF DENDRAGAPU^ (DENDRAGAPUS

OBSCURUS FLEMINGI) FROM SOUTHERN

YUKON TERRITORY

by

P. A.lTaverner

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

AT LOS ANGF.LFS

JUL 1 1 1935
LIBRARY

OTTAWA
GOVERNMENT PRINTING BUREAU

1914 No. 1482

6? 6

December 20, 1914

Canada / <? J 4-

Geological Survey
Museum Bulletin No. 7.

BIOLOGICAL SERIES, No. 4.

.4 New Species of Dendragapus (Dendragapus Obscurus Flemingi),
from Southern Yukon Territory.1

BY P. A. TAVERNER.

In the examination of a collection of Dendragapus obscurus
recently acquired by the Canadian Geological Survey from the
Teslin Lake region, on the Yukon-British Columbia boundary,
it became evident that a new form of the species was probably
represented. Two subspecies have heretofore been recognized
as ranging into Canadian territory, D. o. fuliginosus and richard-
soni. Fuliginosus is a dark bird with a light tail band and
richardsoni a lighter one without a terminal band on the tail.
The birds under consideration are without the tail band but are
even darker than fuliginosus.

We had a fair series of both recognized forms from southern
British Columbia, but all in spring and early summer plumage and
hence hardly comparable with the new form which is represented
entirely by late summer and autumn birds. The possibility
existed that the darkness of the new birds but represented the
new and unfaded plumage of the post-nuptial moult; therefore
application was made to the U. S. Biological Survey and its chief,
Dr. Henshaw, was courteous enough to place at our disposal what
summer and autumn specimens there were in the collection of that
institution. A comparison of the specimens, including these,
confirms our first surmise as to the racial differentiation of the

»Republished from THE AUK,' Vol. XXXI, No. 3, July. 1914. pp. 385-388.

2 MUSEUM BULLETIN NO. 7.

forms and I, therefore, present the following new subspecies for
consideration.

Dendragapus obscurus flemingi new subspecies
FLEMING'S GROUSE.

Named after Mr. J. H. Fleming, C.M.Z.S., in recognition of the value
of his ornithological work in Canada.

Subspecific Characters. Like Dendragapus obscurus richardsoni, with-
out terminal tail band, but darker in general coloration even than D. o. fuli-
ginosus.

D. o. richardsoni.1 D. o. flemingi.

Back, inter scapulars, and body Back, inter scapulars, and body

color of rump. Olive-brown to fus- colour of rump. Dusky neutral gray,
cous.

Tail. Fuscous black. Tail feath- Tail. Dusky neutral gray. Tail

ers cut off sharply and squarely at feathers not having the same chop-
end, ped off appearance. Middle and

several lateral feathers slightly to
markedly double-rounded at end.

Throat patch. Body colour soiled Throat patch. Body colour pure

creamy white.2 white.

Sides of head and spotting of Sides of head and spotting of

throat patch. Fuscous. throat patch. Between neutral gray

and deep neutral gray.

Around neck below throat patch. Around ncek below throat patch.

Between buffy brown and olive brown Between neutral gray and deep neu-
to clove brown, with sometimes a tral gray, deepening in front at lower
faint bluish tinge, deepening in front neck to dusky neutral gray,
at lower neck to fuscous.

Breast and underparts. Light Breast and underparts. Between

mouse gray. neutral gray and deep neutral gray.

Description of Type specimen. Type, adult male, No. 6651 Museum of
the Geological Survey, Department of Mines, Canada. Near Teslin lake,
Yukon Territory, October 10, 1912. Clement Lewis, Collector.

Back, rump, and tail, dusky neutral gray. Central feathers of tail and
some lateral ones double rounded at ends.

Upper tail coverts, fuscous black, finely but sparsely vermiculated with
buffish slate.2

Scapulars, wings, and upper wing coverts, fuscous, lightening towards
wing tip. All, except flight feathers, finely marked with shades between
rusty2 and grayish.2 Some scapulars with white shaft streaks, widening at

»A11 colour terms except where otherwise stated, from Rldgway's "Colour Standards and
Nomenclature," 1912 ed.

These terms are not from "Ridgway's Colour Standards."

NEW SUBSPECIES OF DENDRAGAPUS. 3

terminal to poorly defined marginal spots. The latter persisting on some
of the lesser coverts as vague spots and narrow borders.

Below, between neutral gray and deep neutral gray, and obscured pos-
teriorly by a white tipping of the feather ends that blends into the white
of the basal under tail coverts.

Lower breast feathers with white shaft lines broadening towards the
flanks and posteriorly where they develop into broad terminal spots, streaks,
and bars. A fine vermiculation of buffy1 and grayish1 overlaying the body
colour of the feather tips of the sides.

Under tail coverts dusky neutral gray or black with prominent white
shaft lines and final borders. White increasing towards base of tail until
body colour of feathers is hidden.

Head from deep neutral gray to neutral gray darkest on crown and ear
coverts, overwashed with rusty1 strongest on forehead at base of bill and
more or less obscuring body colours of darker feathers and at last dying away
at back and sides of upper neck as a faint olivaceous1 tinge.

Throat patch, white with irregular deep neutral gray spotting, aggre-
gated on malar region and each spotted feather terminated with small white
border.

Lores, deep neutral gray, with white flecking.

Dark feathers of the breast band creamy white basally, the white grad-
ually encroaching on the dark tips towards the sides, finally usurping most
of the feather and making a semi-concealed white streak down the sides of
the neck to the bend of the folded wing.

The characters of the female are less marked than of the male and without
series for comparison may be difficult of recognition. However, they average
in the same directions as the male being bluer underneath than richardsoni
and darker dorsally, with the rufous1 or rusty1 markings bolder and more
decided in character.

Measurements (in inches). Male, average of four specimens.
Wing, 8.25-8.75 (average 8.51); tail, 6.5-6.75 (average 6.33); tarsus,
1.70-1.80 (average 1.75); exposed culmen, 0.65-0.75 (average 0.71).
Female average of twelve specimens.

Wing, 7.45-8.10 (average 7.70); tail, 5.10-5.75 (average 5.25); tarsus
1.48-1.68 (average 1.55); exposed culmen, 0.65-0.71 (average 0.69).

Distribution. This description is based entirely on specimens taken
within thirty miles of Teslin lake, on the boundary between British Colum-
bia and Yukon Territory, longitude 130°-30', at the west base of the Cassiar
mountains. The range of the form cannot, therefore, be defined, but a study
of the material examined is suggestive.

The male specimens in the series are as follows: British Columbia:
Trail, Midway, and Revelstoke: 7 specimens.

Montana and Idaho: Preuss mts., Fiddle creek; and Nyak and Bear-
tooth mts. : 4 specimens.

1These terms are not from Ridgway's "Colour Standards."

284212

MUSEUM BULLETIN NO. 7.

Mackenzie; Mackenzie river: 1 specimen.
Yukon Territory, Teslin lake: 4 specimens.

Wing

Tail

Tarsus

Culmen General colour

Montana and Idaho

9.06

6.56

1.80

0.80 Light

British Columbia

8.90

6.96

1.77

0.77 Slightly darker

Mackenzie

8.75

6.55

1.70

0.80 Light

Teslin lake, Y. T.

8.51

6.33

1.75

0.71 Dark.

It will be seen that the most southern birds are the largest
and lightest ; the northern smallest and darkest, while those from
lower British Columbia are intermediate though closer to the
southern than the northern race. The Mackenzie form, being
represented by only a single specimen in not very high plumage,
cannot be definitely placed in the series though it agrees closely
with the Montana and Idaho specimens. No specimens from the
type locality of richardsoni (the northeast corner of Rocky
Mountain park, lat. 53°, long. 115°) being obtainable I assume
from the above that it ranges up the east side of the Rocky
mountains and through them south of the International border
in unmodified form, while the intermountain birds, flemingi, as
they distribute northward from the boundary, become smaller
and darker. It is possible that on examination, birds from
farther north of Teslin lake will exhibit these characters in a
still more marked degree

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