TAXONOMY 



45 



manner of rising from the ground when flushed. On such occasions males tend to climb 

 steeply for ten or a dozen feet before leveling off, while females more often fly off low, at least 

 for a short distance. One must bear in mind, however, that this distinction is most applicable 

 on level ground without obstacles which must be surmounted in the immediate path of flight. 



Table 6 correlates the sex differences in a condensed form. 



TABLE 6. COMPARISON OF VISUAL SEX DIFFERENCES IN RUFFED GROUSE 



Male 



Female 



General appearance. 



Head. 



Neck. 



Ruff feathers. 

 Rump feathers. 



Tail. 



Upper tail coverUs. 

 Flank feathers. 

 Scapulars. 



Legs. 



Distinctive actions. 



Flight. 



More ruRKod, heaviiT*, contour taper- 

 ing both ways to form an elongated 

 body; color markings more definite. 



Deeper from crown to chin; bare skin 

 over upper eyelid bright orange, espe- 

 cially in breeding season; eye appearing 

 smaller. 



Tliicker, tapering from breast to throat, 

 front neck line joining ttiroal under eye; 

 a neiklace of light and dark bands 

 ringing front half; hackli's longer with 

 several partial dark bars. 



Number gn'atcr; longer, reaihing back 

 over folded wing with edges visible 

 beyond ha<'kles. 



Longer, reaching well beyond wing- 

 tips; definitely m.irked with regular, 

 clearly di'fined arrowheads. 



Over 6};i inches long; subt(;rmiiial band 

 solid ■ior broken on two middle feathers, 

 in brokc^n bands mottling i-oarser; 

 stripes sharply defined. 



Exhibit definite, black "eyes," 



Broken black or brown bands. 



Distinct "chevrons" 

 white or light buff. 



Appear longer. 



of black, and 



Drums, struts; does not take jiart in 

 nesting or care of chicks. 



Tend to rise steeply when Hushed. 



Daintier, contour less tapering, body 

 more "butterball" shaped; color maik- 

 ings more blended. 



Depth less; bare skin over upper eyelid 

 pale to colorless; eye appearing larger. 



Mori' slender, miM'ting body higher and 

 at more of an angle, front neck line 

 joining throat well liehind eye; front of 

 neck marked with broken spots of darker 

 colors; hackles short it with seldom more 

 than one dark marking on eitlier side 

 of shaft. 



Number fewer, shorter, l)arely reaching 

 wings, edges rarely visible. 



Shorter, not reaching beyond wing-tips; 

 coloration soft, well blended with arrow- 

 heads neither strongly defined nor 

 niunerous. 



Under .S^i inches long; subterrainal band 

 broken on two middle feathers, in 

 broken bands mottling finer; stripes 

 less clear. 



"Eyes" not so definite, if present at all. 



Definite black bands against white. 



"Chevrons" less distinct, often a darker 

 buff. 



Appear shorter. 



Does not drum, rarely struts; when 

 nesting or with chicks, often feigns 

 injury, "squeals." 



Tend to fly off low to ground. 



^Average fall weight for moles is 1 lb., 7 oz.; for females 1 lb., 5 oz. 



AA solid band almost invariably indicates a male, only one female so marked having come to our attention. 







^"^ 



