TAXONOMY 47 



In 1760, however, Brisson"* had published an account of "La grosse Gelinotte de Canada",, 

 designating it Bonasia major Canadensis. His material presumably came from the lower St. 

 Lawrence valley. This was also included by Linnaeus under the name Telrao logatus, but has 

 since been recognized as a subspecies of Bonasa umbellus. 



Recognition of Subspecies 



As the "Path of Empire" moved westward, so also did faunal explorations. Ruffed grouse 

 were found to occur from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from the mountains of Georgia and 

 Colorado to the lower Yukon Valley, and the shores of Hudson Bay and Labrador. Specimens 

 were collected and sent to various museums where subsequent examination revealed differences 

 in the representatives of certain sections. Thus a number of subspecies gradually became 

 recognized. 



The form of which the specimen described by Edwards was representative, of course, became 

 the typical subspecies Bonasa umbellus umbellus (Linnaeus)*. 



Early in the nineteenth century Douglas, a British traveler in the Pacific Northwest, recog- 

 nized the grouse he encountered in certain parts of what is now Washington, British Columbia 

 and Alberta, as somewhat different from those he had seen in the East. Therefore in 1829'" 

 he described two new species, namely, certain pale birds, found about the sources of the Peace 

 River, for which he suggested the name Tetrao imbelloiiies, and the birds inhabiting the humid 

 forests of the west slope of the coast ranges, which he called T. Sabini. The former was 

 reduced to the rank of suiispecies by Baird in 18.58', and the latter by Coues in 1872'^'. becom- 

 ing B. u. umbelloides tDouglas)"^ and B. u. sabini (Douglas)* respectively. Of interest is the 

 fact, pointed out by Coues*", that the latter species was in reality first discovered by Lewis and 

 Clark in 1805-06 and named Tetrao jusca by Ord in Guthries Geography "'* in 1815. Due to the 

 indefiniteness of the description, however, its identity was not recognized until after Douglas" 

 name had become established. 



In 1885 Ridgway'^' called attention to the fact that Linnaeus' T. topatus should he B. u. 

 togata (Linnaeus)^. 



Then in 1912 Bangs" differentiated the birds of Nova Scotia as distinct from B. u. togata 

 and described B. u. lliayeri Bangs^. 



A short time later (1916) Griniiell'"". upon examining a series of specimens collected by C. 

 L. Hall at Fortymile. Yukon Territory, described a sixth subspecies. B. u. yukonensis Grin- 

 nelU. 



These are the subspecies of the ruffed grouse as recognized in the 19.'^ I edition of the 

 American Ornithologists' Union's "Check-List of North American Birds'"". 



* Type localily, eastern Pennsylvania. 

 A Type locality. Valleys of Rocky Mountains, hit. 5'V' N., and near the sonrces o( the Colunihia east of thp Coast and Cascade 



ranges^. CrinnelP''"' has proposed the birds of the vicinity of Henry House, Alberta, as topotypes. 

 t Type locality. Coast of Northwest America, between the 40' onil 49' parallels from Cape Mendocino to Vancouver's Island^*. 



Conover"^ has proposed Vancouver, Washington be considered the type locality. 

 X Type locality, Canada, probably St. Lawrence valley between (.tuehec and Montreal^'. 

 § Type specimen. No. IM.'j.'i Bangs' Coll., Mus. Conip. Zool. Cambridge. October 9. 1892. — ^ — •- 



Type locality, Digby. Nova Scotia. / ,/v^ImW^- 



• Type specimen. No. 451!;. Mus. Vert. Zool., Calif.. Novembers, 1899. j 

 Type locality, Fortymile, Yukon Territory (C. L. Hall). 



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